Some Exceptions Can Be Made
by SnuggleXPuff
Summary: The Boss is one of the most feared men in America. But when things start to develop between himself and one of his newest lieutenants, not to mention the reappearence of old friends and enemies, the Boss finds himself in a very vulnerable position.MCXKenzie
1. Colorful Conversations

**Fandom:Saints Row:The Third Pairing:Boss (Maxwell Croshaw) and Kinzie Kensington with slight Shaundi and Pierce.**  
><strong>Rating:M for Language, violence, drug use and sexual situations.<strong>  
><strong>Author's Note: I own no rights to Saints Row:The Third nor any of it's characters. This was made purely for shits and giggles<strong>

**Chapter 1**

**-Colorful Conversation-**

* * *

><p><strong>"<strong>I'm here, Kinzie. What's next?"

"Around back there should be a door. The code is 657899" Kinzie spoke over the receiver.

Maxwell reloaded his gun and rose from his crouched position behind a large crate pallet. Despite his title as leader, Maxwell has always preferred to be at the center of the action. Always being the center of attention, the main attraction. Tonight was no different. Having his gun at the ready, Maxwell proceeded to the door and then entered the code.

"Okay. Once inside you'll need to get to the main computer and use the USB to download all the information."

"The what?" He said, confused.

Kinzie let out a sigh.

"Take the plug thing and stick it into the little square hole on the front."

Maxwell prepared to reply but was interrupted by the sound of a bullet ricocheting off a pipe only a foot from his head. He ducked quickly then rolled to the side.

"Max?"

"Don t use my name." He shouted, his voice was thick.

"Damn, sorry. You'd think a person being shot at wouldn't care about his name being mentioned."

Maxwell ignored this and returned fire at the young man in leather. The Decker went down at once but was soon replaced as five other members rushed into the room. Bullets began flying every which way as Maxwell jumped and dived to avoid them all while firing back. In minutes the crowd was down. After waiting to see if another wave would come, he quickly ran to the next room and began to look over the computer on the desk. He raised his eyebrows at the spectacle in front of him.

"Kinzie, this doesn't look like a computer. More like a damn space station."

"You're impressed by that thing? Geeze, you're such a noob."

Maxwell plugged the USB into what he could only assume was where it belonged. A message popped up onto the screen and he began the download. A progress bar appeared and stayed at 0%. Maxwell rolled his eyes.

"How long will this take?"

"A couple minutes at most. Stay alert. That place is crawling with Deckers."

"Aye."

Maxwell reloaded his pistol yet again. He was quickly realizing how low he was on ammo now.

"Bloody hell, should'a made a run to Friendly Fire first."

"Impatience is your downfall it seems."

Shots rang out once more. Maxwell fired back at the men in black and blue. One by one they fell, all while the clip in Maxwell s gun got more empty. A final shot was fired and then silence came over the room.

_'Bing'_

Maxwell turned to see the download was complete. He took the cable out and stuffed it into a pocket on his trench coat.

"All done Kinzie."

"Good. I'll see you at my place."

Maxwell left the building then got back into his Bootlegger. He turned left out of the parking lot and began to head towards the one and only thing that has ever truly scared him. The one thing that he couldn't quite explain even though it filled him with such strong feelings. A person who knew everything about him, even his name, while he only knew hers.

_Kinzie Kensington._

He pulled up to her garage and got out of his car. He took a quick look around the place Kinzie called home. She resided in an abandoned warehouse right on the docks. The building was barren for the most part until you entered her room. Computer monitors covering the walls blinked away in a language Maxwell would never understand. There was no bed. No dresser. Nothing you would expect to find in a normal household bedroom. Then again, he was well aware he was not dealing with a normal woman. He saw her in her designated corner, typing away at her lap top, her cherry red hair pulled into a loose bun, leaving some to fall over her freckled face. Maxwell felt something flutter in his stomach. Ignoring the sensation, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the cartridge, then held it up.

"Got what you're lookin' for."

"Give it here and I'll get started." She reached her hand out, eyes still on the screen. Maxwell kept it from her reach. This unexpected move was enough to deter her from the computer. She looked at him.

"What?"

"What's your favorite color?", Maxwell asked, his lips coming to a smile, his green eyes bright.

Kinzie stared in disbelief.

"I'm sorry?"

"Your favorite color. C'mon let s hear it."

"Have you been smoking from Shaundi's stash?"

"Perhaps. Now tell me."

"Maxwell, I've got a lot of work ahead of me tonight, so if you expect me to get it done in time for-"

"Don t. Call me. Maxwell."

Kinzie snatched the USB from his hand. She turned back to her screen.

"Let me work."

He kept his eyes on her for a moment. It wasn't fair. She knew everything about him, something that no one else could claim. He normally didn't care about the personal lives of those he worked with and called friends. With her, however, it was different. He wanted to learn about her. He was intrigued by her. Her originality. In a way, she was a strange, foreign creature to him. He could only sigh and close his eyes. He turned to her door to leave.

"Let me know when it's finished."

The former FBI-Agent sighed then turned her chair towards the gang leader.

"Max." Kinzie said quietly.

He drew a breath and began to scold her for once again using his name but was cut off by her voice.

"It's blue."

Maxwell cocked an eyebrow.

"Blue?"

"My favorite color. It's blue. Yours?"

He smiled and ran a hand through his rust-colored hair.

"Black. Purple's a second of course."

Kinzie smiled.

"Goodnight, Boss."

His smiled widened. He turned towards the exit again.

"Night."

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1-End<strong>

**Authors Note: This story is set a year and a half from the ending of SR:TT where you save Shaundi and Viola. Just an FYI to avoid any confusion.**

**11/29**

**Edited some minor spelling errors. Let me know if you find any more! Thanks for reading and please feel free to share your opinions!  
><strong>


	2. Innocence

**Chapter 2**

**-Innocence-**

* * *

><p>The elevator came to a stop and Maxwell walked out and into his penthouse. Classic rock played throughout the rooms, various gang members stood guard, others kept to the more relaxing jobs such as eating in the kitchen or receiving a lap dance from a stripper. Maxwell gazed over the room, looking for his friend, Pierce. He soon found him outside by the pool. Peirce pulled off his shades and placed his drink on a nearby table.<p>

"Kinzie help you with the download?" He asked his leader.

"Yep. Went real smoothly."

"Cool cool. So you thinkin' we might have the Deckers down soon?"

"If Kinzie has anything to do with it, I'm sure we will."

Peirce reclaimed his drink and took a swig. He looked at his leader inquisitively.

"What do you really think about this girl?"

Maxwell looked at Peirce with a questioning stare.

"What do you mean?"

"Ah well, I dunno man. She used to be 5-0. Don't know 'bout you but that's been giving me a bit of a bad vibe. I mean shit. Look what happened with Troy. That and she is a bit of...well...you know."

Maxwell rolled his eyes.

"That was different. She's done nothing but prove herself to be useful. We've been needing some brains like her's. To be honest, she has my total trust. And I honestly don't care what she does in her personal time."

Peirce chuckled then took another gulp.

"Damn, Boss. This celeb shit really lightened you up a bit, eh?"

Maxwell became defensive. His anger was rising. He was never one for keeping his temper in check.

"You sound like Shaundi, Peirce. I'm tellin' ya' mate, she's good people."

Peirce just shook his head.

"I'm just sayin' . You seem to be pretty attached to this girl." Peirce paused for a moment, then a smirk came over his face.

"You ain't gettin' a little crush now are ya'?"

Maxwell was taken aback. He remembered the butterflies he had gotten earlier but quickly pushed the thought aside.

"What? No. 'Course not." He scoffed.

"C'mon man, don t be playing. She is pretty fine. Weird. But fine."

"She's too innocent for me, mate. I wouldn't want to corrupt her."

At this, Peirce let of a howl of laughter. He got up, grabbing his drink, and patted Maxwell on the shoulder.

"Hey man, you saw the shit that girl has in her house. I don"t think she's that innocent."

Peirce headed back into the penthouse to refill his drink. Maxwell stood up to follow him but stopped walking when his phone began to ring. He looked at the caller ID and saw it was the innocent-not-so-innocent Kinzie. He smiled and answered the call.

"Hey, love. Was just thinkin' about-"

"You need to come here now!"

Maxwell's stomach dropped.

"What happened?"

The line became fuzzy, he barely heard the rest of what she said.

"Deckers..._bzzt_...here..._bzzt_...HELP!"

"Hold on, Kinzie, I'm coming right now!" Maxwell shouted then shoved his phone into his coat pocket. He ran into the house and past Peirce.

"Yo! What's up man?" Peirce called from the kitchen.

Maxwell stopped for a moment, just long enough to explain to Peirce.

"Kinzie's in trouble! I think the Deckers found her hideout. I'm taking these fuckers down."

"Do you need any help?" Pierce asked.

"No. I want them to myself."

Maxwell then turned and hurried to the elevator. The metal doors opened, allowing him access. He stood in front of the key pad, pressing the down button repetitively. His temper licked at him like angry flames.

"C'mon ya' bloody machine."

The letter 'G' finally became lit as he reached the bottom floor. He dashed towards his black Bootlegger and got in, he started the engine and sped off towards the Docks where Kinzie resided. He reached into his pocket again for his phone. He redialed Kinzie's number, each time getting only a busy tone. Cursing under his breath, Maxwell slammed his boot against the gas pedal, accelerating down the street. He looked up when he heard lightening crack over the sky. A storm was coming.

* * *

><p>The rain was coming down heavily now. He pulled up outside Kinzie's garage and quickly got out of the car. There were 3 Decker's vehicles outside, but their owners were nowhere to be seen. He loaded his gun as fast as possible and ran into the warehouse. Once inside, he was met by a barrage of bullets. The Deckers fired at him from all angles, Maxwell fired back as much as he could while running and jumping to avoid the deadly projectiles. After a few moments of loud gunfire, he had fully cleared the room. Sparing no time, he began to head deeper into the warehouse in search of Kinzie. He was stopped short by a muffled cry.<p>

"Max?"

"Kinzie?" Maxwell ran to where her voice came from which was inside a small storage closet. He pulled on the handle but it didn't budge.

"Max it's locked. You have to find the rest of the Deckers! They have the key!"

"Kinzie are you alright!" Maxwell asked, worry was painted over his voice.

"Yeah, I've been shot and I'm stuffed in a broom closet but other than that I'm swell."

Maxwell's eyes widened.

"You've been shot?" He yelled.

"Forget about that and kill those guys! Their fucking with my computer!"

"Ah right. Be calm, I'll be right back."

He ran off towards the room where Kinzie kept her equipment. He turned into the room to see three men typing away on computers. They barely had time to draw their guns before Maxwell filled them all with lead. Once sure they were down, he checked each of their pockets for the key to the closet. He let out a sigh when he found it. He made his way back to the closet.

"Kinzie, I've got the key."

"Great now let me out. It reeks in here."

Maxwell turned the key and unlocked the door. His eyes became wide when he saw Kinzie. Her hair fell loose and stuck to her face with sweat. Her blue FBI jacket was now almost completely red over the right side of her chest. Her face was pale, her eyes heavy.

"Bout time...thought...you'd never come-" Her sentence ended as she fell towards Maxwell. He opened his arms quickly and held her small frame against his chest.

"Kinzie? Oh fuck, Kinzie!"

"I'm...fine...justa'... flesh wound. Gotta check...the computer..."

Ignoring her wishes, he picked her up in his arms then ran back outside towards his car. He came to a halt when he saw that more Deckers had pulled up next to the building. Shifting Kinzie's body over his shoulder, Maxwell began to fire at the remaining Deckers while still making his way to his vehicle. Once to the passenger door, he placed Kinzie carefully, but hastily, into the seat then shut the door. He ran back around the car, firing at more oncoming Deckers, his mind clouded with rage. He got behind the wheel and tore off away from the gunfire. Once away from most of it, he placed a hand on Kinzie's face. It was too cold for his comfort.

"Kinzie, love, stay with me okay? You've lost a lot of blood but you're gonna be fine."

"My computers..."

"Forget about them, they are fine. We gotta worry about you now. I'm heading to the hospital right now but you gotta keep with me okay?"

She opened her eyes. The usual deep blue was replaced by a more hazy color. She looked at him and smiled weakly. The expression tugged at his heart.

"I like you, Boss. You're funny and you don t try to impress me with computer stuff."

Maxwell let out a chuckle.

"Well, Kinzie, I-"

"You're pretty cute, too."

Maxwell let out another laugh then ran a hand over her hair.

"You really have lost a lot of blood, eh?"

He then put his hand back on the wheel and continued speeding down the highway towards the hospital. All the while trying to ignore that insufferable fluttering in his stomach.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2-End<strong>


	3. Reacquainted

**Chapter 3**

**-Reacquainted-**

He turned another corner sharply and sped through a red light. The drive was only a few moments but to Maxwell it felt like hours. He continuously talked to Kinzie, who was looking paler and paler each time he glanced at her. The rain was coming down in sheets at this point, he had to squint to see through the windshield which was now almost completely white with the downpour. The thunder was a constant roar. He looked towards her again.

"Alright, love, we're almost there. How're you holding up?"

"Just...just...fine."

He smiled grimly. Past memories came flooding back into his mind. He pushed them back the best he could. He couldn't loose someone else. Not so soon. Not her. He turned into the parking lot of the hospital and quickly jumped from his seat and ran around the front of the car to Kinzie's side. He picked her up into his arms and carried her through the automatic doors of the lobby.

"I need a doctor!" Maxwell called to the nurses standing at their stations. They ran to him and Kinzie, one was pushing a gurney. Maxwell placed her on the bed as the nurses began asking questions.

"What happened to her?" One older woman in pink scrubs asked.

"She's been shot. Her chest." Maxwell's heart was pounding, the reality of the situation settled in once he'd spoken it.

"We'll take good care of her sir." The woman said.

Maxwell looked down at Kinzie who stared back with glazed eyes.

"M-ma-"She began to breathe his name. He grasped her small hands into his larger, calloused ones.

"It'll be alright, love. I'll be here when you get back."

Without having enough time for his mind to register what his body was doing, he bent over her, running a hand through her loose hair and kissed her on her forehead. The skin beneath his lips was even colder than before. Two more nurses then appeared.

"Have a seat sir, we'll update you on her status as soon as we learn something new." Another nurse said. This one was male, much younger, and in blue scrubs.

Maxwell's brows drew together. His face came close to the nurse's.

"You damn well better take good care of her." He growled deeply.

The young nurse swallowed audibly but nodded and walked back to where Kinzie was taken in the E.R. Maxwell stared at the metal doors for a few seconds then realized he needed to call Peirce. He took out his cell phone and dialed Pierce's number. It rang once then was picked up.

"Boss, is everything alri-"

"Kiznie's shot. At the hospital now. Look, I need you to get some guys and head to Kinzie's place right now. The Deckers where going through the computers and I do not want them getting any of our info."

"I'm right on it boss."

"Thanks."

Maxwell hung up then put his phone back into his coat. He ran his hands through his hair. He sat down on an empty chair in the corner of the waiting room. He looked around and noticed there was no one there. For this he was grateful. The last thing he'd need right now was someone asking for a picture or an autograph. Looking at a clock near a triage room he saw it was 5:09 PM. He let out a long sigh then put his face in his hands.

* * *

><p>Peirce and Shaundi stood inside Kinzie's house waiting for the more tech-savvy Saints to finish checking on all the information on Kinzie's computer.<p>

"So do you think Miller's back?" Asked Shaundi.

"Either that or the Deckers are just coming together and making plans themselves."

One of the Saints, a young man sporting a mohawk done in liberty spikes, turned towards them. His face was troubled.

"Um, guys. You might want to see this."

Shaundi and Peirce stepped near the computer. The screen was filled with binary numbers except for a square in the middle. Inside was a large smiley face. Underneath the emoticon was a simple word that struck hard to the Saints.

_Cheers!_

"Or he could be back." Peirce said quietly.

"Bastard." Spat Shaundi.

Peirce stepped out of the crowded room and reached for his phone.

"Boss. Yeah. We got a problem."

* * *

><p>Maxwell closed his phone and buried his face in his hands once again. Matt Miller was back. The leader of the Deckers. The one he thought he had scared away. He was back. But Maxwell wasn't angry. He lifted his head, a crooked smile etched into his face. If Miller wanted a war, it was what he was going to get.<p>

* * *

><p><strong><em>Chapter 3-End<em>**

**_Author's Note:_**

**_Sorry for the short length of this chapter. I'm sure the following ones will make up for it!  
><em>**


	4. Rest

**Chapter 4 **

**-Rest-**

The rainfall began to taper as the hours slowly went by. Maxwell had somehow dozed off in his chair after 3 hours. He was awoken by the male nurse he had threatened earlier.

"Um...sir? Sir, please wake up." The nervous voice spoke.

Maxwell's eyes fluttered open. Once exposed to the bright lights of the lobby the dread encased him again in a death grip. He sat up straight and looked at the nurse.

"Is she alright?" He asked, now wide awake.

The nurse smiled, though timidly.

"Yes sir, she's just fine. In fact she asked to see you."

Maxwell's heart was finally removed from under the heavy weight that held it the past 4 hours. He smiled widely at the nurse.

"Of course, of course." Maxwell said quickly, standing up to follow the nurse.

"Right this way, please sir." The young man turned and went through the same doors they had taken Kinzie though earlier. Maxwell followed close behind.

"Now I must warn you, sir. She has lost quite a bit of blood so she's not entirely coherent but she insisted on seeing you."

"That's fine." Maxwell said.

They turned another corner then went through the first curtain on the left. Inside lay Kinzie. Machines attached to her beeped away showing her vitals. Her face was still pale but not as so as before. Her eyes opened.

"Hey." She croaked. Her voice was hoarse.

Maxwell came to her side, his face alight with relief, and something else that even the half conscious Kinzie could see. He caressed her right cheek, his smile widened.

"Kinzie. I'm so glad you're safe. How are you feeling, love?"

"How are my computers?"

Maxwell laughed.

"They are fine. Peirce and Shaundi are watching over them right now."

"I don't want my information-"

"Kinzie, it's fine." Maxwell spoke flatly.

She stared at him in defiance for a moment then closed her eyes, letting out a sigh.

"Fine."

"You're looking a lot better now."

Her lips curled into a small smile.

"Yeah,I'm good..."

"That's great. Any idea when they'll let you out?"

"The doctor said a couple days at most. Hey Max?"

Maxwell's kind, wide smile faded.

"Kinzie, stop calling me that."

"Can you just come closer?"

He stared at her, confused for a moment,but then obliged. He bent forward over her, his arms on either side of her small body to support some of his weight. His green eyes meet her blue ones. She looked at the details of his face. Strong jaw, high cheek bones, fiercely colored eyes, thick copper hair pushed away from his face except for some bangs hanging over his left eye. His skin was always very light but she noticed that tonight it was even paler. She ignored her thoughts before they got anymore carried away from her.

"So, what am I doing this for?" Maxwell whispered.

"This."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him to her, hugging him with all the strength she could muster. He was taken aback for a moment, but then slid his hands beneath her and hugged back.

"Thank you." She spoke.

"For what?"

"Saving me."

He smiled then put his face into the crook of her neck. He couldn't ignore her smell. It was wet and metallic from the rain and blood, but there was something else beneath it. Something that made his stomach flutter in a way that he was beginning to hate. She soon loosened her grip but didn't let go. She looked into his eyes once more for a moment then brought her face closer to kiss to plant a kiss on his stubbly cheek. More damn fluttering.

"Thanks, Really." She let him go. He straightened up.

"Don't mention it. You know I'll always protect you."

He sat down in a chair next to her bed, took her hands in his and watched her fall asleep. Before long, he fell asleep too, still holding onto her hands.

* * *

><p>Maxwell left the next morning while Kinzie still slept. He looked down at her for a moment, brushing the hair from her face,and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. He silently left the room and made his way back outside. As much as he longed to be near her, to hold her hand and talk to her, to kiss the soft skin of her forehead, he just couldn't. There were things to do be done right now. He had no time to waste. He walked out of the lobby and to the smaller lot his Bootlegger was parked at. He unlocked the door, opened it, and got inside. He sat for a while, thinking over what had happened. How he had almost lost her. How he may have never had a chance to sort out these things he was feeling about her, much less tell her these feelings. He sighed then turned the key in the ignition, the muscle car roared to life. He pulled out his phone and dialed Peirce.<p>

"Boss?"

"Any new info?"

"Not really boss. None of our guys can seem to get any progress with Matt's computers. Everything's protected."

"Dammit." Maxwell gripped his steering wheel.

"How's Kinzie? She's the only one that can help."

"She's fine, she's just getting some rest. The bad news though is that she needs to stay there for a couple days."

"Shit." Peirce cursed.

Maxwell was quiet for a moment. Then something came to him.

"Her laptop." Maxwell said.

"Huh?"

"Her laptop. Find it and bring it here. Maybe once she's woken up she can work on finding Miller."

"Good thinkin', boss. I'll get on it."

"Thanks, mate."

He put his phone away and looked at himself in the rear-view mirror. More lines than usual etched his face, his tie was loose. He tightened it. He reached for the key again and turned the car off. The struggle he just had with himself was now voided. There was nothing to be done now that he could do, what was the purpose of leaving? He could be with her now. He got out of the car and went back to the hospital, and asked to be let into her room again.

"Sorry sir, but she's asleep." A new nurse from the early morning shift said.

"All I want is to do is go back there. So open the bloody doors." He was getting angry again.

The nurse looked behind herself, as if checking for witnesses. "Okay, but only because I _really_ like Gangsta's in Space."

She pressed a button on her desk and the double doors opened. Maxwell thanked her then went back to Kinzie's room. He looked inside and saw she was still fast asleep. He rolled up his sleeve, looking at his watch and saw it was a little past 8:00 AM. She must have been sleeping well over 11 hours now. Come to think of it, he remembered her saying that she never slept. She didn't even have a bed. He smiled and looked at her. He was happy she was getting rest. He sat back in the chair near her and folded his arms. He must have dozed off again because the next thing he knew he was being awoken by a nurse with a breakfast tray. When he looked to Kinzie, he saw she was awake too. Her face had regained it's normal color, her skin looked smooth, the bags under her eyes were gone. She looked..._healthy_, he thought.

"Mornin'" He said, his voice rougher than usual from sleep.

"Hey." She said quietly.

The nurse put the tray on the bed table and brought it in front of Kinzie.

"Now eat up, dear. You have a lot of energy to get back." The nurse said kindly, then walked out of the room, drawing the curtain closed behind her.

Kinzie picked at the piece of toast, eating it slowly. Maxwell smelled the mixture of toast and eggs and noticed that he himself was starving. Kinzie looked at him.

"You can have some. I don't eat much."

"No, no. You need to eat all of that, Kinzie."

She said nothing, only going back to pull apart the piece of toast.

"Please?" Maxwell asked.

She looked at him. He stayed with her. All night. He slept by her side, and watched over her. How could a person like him be this caring?

"Fine." She said flatly, then raised the bread to her mouth, taking a large bite out of it. Maxwell smiled.

"Thanks."

Kinzie only chewed, her eyes closed.

"My computer?" She spoke finally.

"It's on it's way here. Well, at least the smaller one is."

She looked offended.

"Who has it?" He asked.

"Kinzie calm down, Peirce is bringing it over here so that you can have it."

"What if he looks through my things? What if he-"

"Love, Peirce wouldn't even begin to know what to do with a computer, most especially your computer. Besides, invasions of privacy don't seem to bother you when you are the one snooping."

"Because I do it right." She said bluntly.

He let out a laugh. She went back to her toast. He looked at her for a moment.

"Your hair is down."

"So?" She said, eyes still closed.

"I've never seen it like that till last night. I like it like that."

She opened her eyes, taking a handful of her hair in her hands and running them down the length of it. Her eyes looked down, her brows pulled together and up. Redness bloomed over her freckled cheeks. It was an embarrassed expression that he found absolutely adorable.

"No one's liked my hair before." She whispered, still avoiding his gaze.

"I like it. I like you, Kinzie."

She blushed harder now, lowering her face further.

"Okay, that's enough." She spoke.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you or anything. I just, ya' know."

She hesitated, then lifted her head, looking at him. Her eyes were glassy from tears. Her face red.

"Kinzie, I didn't-" Maxwell sat forward in his chair, reaching toward her.

"It's fine. It's fine..." She forced a smile. He put his hand on her arm. He smiled worryingly at her. Just then his phone began to ring. He answered the call, his eyes fixed on her face.

"Boss, I've got the computer. I'm outside."

"Coming, Pierce." He tucked his phone away and got up. Kinzie looked up toward him.

"What's going on?" She asked.

He smiled at her.

"Well, love, I've got some work for you to do."

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4-End<strong>


	5. An Intervention

**Chapter 5**

**-An Intervention-**

* * *

><p>Peirce and Maxwell stood on either side of Kinzie's hospital bed as she typed away on her laptop. Neither of them had much of an understanding for computers so instead of fretting over every detail, they opted for just letting her do the work. After a few moments Maxwell spoke up.<p>

"So how's it looking?" He asked.

"So far? Not too good. He has done a major up grade to his systems, the amount of firewalls is staggering, the anti virus is-"

"Can you do it?" He cut her off.

She looked up at him with a smirk.

"It'll be done in two hours tops."

Maxwell smiled at her, Peirce let out a sigh of relief.

"You're amazing, Kinzie."

Kinzie blushed but kept her face serious, looking back at her laptop.

"Thanks." She nearly whispered.

Peirce raised an eyebrow.

"Uh, boss? Wanna go get some breakfast?" He asked looking at Maxwell.

"Hmm? Oh, right. 'Course. We'll be back soon, love." He spoke to Kinzie.

"Take your time. I work better alone." She said, her eyes still glued to the screen, her fingers racing over the keys.

"Okay, see ya' then." Said Maxwell. Peirce dismissed the thought but he could have sworn he saw disappointment in his eyes. It was time to talk to his leader. The two men left the room then headed towards the cafeteria, following the arrows directing them towards their destination. Peirce struggled to find his words. This had to be handled gently.  
>Granted, this business with Kinzie was no one's but the Boss's and hers but Peirce feared the worst. He wasn't around for the tragedy of Lin's death but he'd heard the stories. How strongly it had effected his leader, how it was still a sore subject now. The life they lead was a harsh one, a life where their mortality was constantly put on the line. Because of this, Peirce believed it would be best if the members of the Saints kept romantic endeavors at a minimum. Like it or not, it was time to confront the Boss. He cleared his throat.<p>

"Boss, can I ask you something?"

"Sure." Maxwell said.

"Well..."

"Spit it out,mate." Maxwell spoke, his curiosity coming alive.

"Well. What's, uh...What's going on between Kinzie and you?"

Maxwell stopped walking and looked at Peirce. His expression was almost unreadable to Peirce. What he did see, however, was a bit of guilt.

"This again, Peirce? She's not in the FBI anymore so-"

"Nah, man. Not that. I mean...well...it looks like you really care about her."

"What's wrong with watching out for my people?"

"Nah man. You watch out for me. You watch out for Shaundi. What you doin' with her? Nah, that's a bit more."

Maxwell rolled his eyes then continued walking. Peirce didn't follow.

"Everything's fine Peirce. Nothing to worry about."

"But it is, Boss. I just think it's best if we kept things civil, ya' know? Don't go making commitments and shit. That's how people get hurt."

Maxwell stopped again and turned to look at his lieutenant. He was right. God dammit, he was right. They were in the midst of a war and he was finding himself falling in love, something he hadn't done in years. Sure there was a woman here and there, some girl trying to get famous from fucking a celebrity, some other one just wanting the money, the rest just did it to say that they did. He hardly remembered any of these girls, in fact, when he thought of them now, it made him feel sick. Not really for his morals, but for the time he had wasted on these loose women. On women he hated being around and only slightly enjoyed sleeping with. When, here and now, there was a woman who he'd die for. A woman that he greatly wanted to sleep with, yes but to also hold her and touch her and pleasure her. A person he found fascinating and enjoyable to be around, and that, in itself, was incredibly rare for him. He was loosing this fight and he hated it.

"It's fine. There's nothing between her and I." He hesitated a moment. "Never will be."

Peirce wasn't fully convinced, but was grateful enough to still be alive after confronting the Boss in such a manner. He thought it best to let the subject die. For now.

"Okay, Boss. Let's get some food."

* * *

><p>Peirce and Maxwell had breakfast in the mostly empty cafeteria. Not much conversation passed between the two. Peirce felt awkward for bringing it up yet still stood by his reasoning. Maxwell, however, was trying to figure out ways of putting out the fire of his emotions. He was finding this to be an impossible task. They finished their food then headed back to Kinzie's room. Peirce checked the time on his watch.<p>

"Hey Boss, I better get heading back to headquarters. I'll see you soon though." Peirce said, heading towards the front lobby.

"Alright mate. Catch ya' later."

Peirce stopped then turned around to look at Maxwell.

"Hey, Boss?"

Maxwell turned, his brow raised.

"Just...just think over what I said."

Maxwell looked into his eyes a moment, then only nodded. Peirce nodded back then went through the double doors leading to the waiting room. Maxwell stood there for a moment, staring at nothing. In reality, there was nothing to be done. Perhaps easing up with calling her 'love' and holding her hand and stuff of that caliber, but they really didn't have anything between them. Yeah, she said she liked him. But who knows what that means? Besides, she was near death at that point. Far from being in her right mind. He knew it was time to forget about this relationship, or lack there of. He wasn't built for romance. His hands were too blood stained to hold hers. His past too darkened to be a part of hers. He was a bad guy. And the bad guy never gets the girl. It's just a fact. He was also too old, been around the block one too many times. He decided to stick to his routine. The business of sin was what he was made for. That's all.

"Fuck." He cursed himself.

He was standing in the hallway that lead to where she was. He stared at the sign over the door that indicated what level he was on. He stared at it for what seemed like hours.  
>He closed his eyes. Her face arranged itself in his mind where the sign once hung. Her cherry red locks loose from their usual bun, some of it falling over her face. Deep blue eyes stared at him through the curtain of hair. Her full lips curled into a small smile.<p>

"I can't." He whispered.

He turned on his heel and headed for the exit and put the haunting image of her face behind him. There was no room for love in this business.

* * *

><p>Kinzie sat in her bed in front of her computer. And empty tray of what used to be her lunch sat on the table. A loading screen ticked away it's progress. Waiting for her work to be done she drew on a piece of paper she had asked a nurse for. On the paper was a man with thick hair, some loose bangs hanging over the left eye. A strong jaw, sharp features, piercing eyes. Maxwell stared back at her from his portrait on her stationary.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5-End<strong>


	6. Distractions

**Chapter 6**

**-Distractions-**

Maxwell's Bootlegger was nearly reaching top speeds, his boot pressing firmly against the gas pedal. Channel _6.66_ was blaring hard metal music that he usually hardly ever listened to. His mind raced. His rage was burning inside him like a pit of flames. He wasn't angry with Peirce, nor at Kinzie. He was angry with himself. He'd let his guard down. He'd let some little socially inept girl steal his heart. He'd been played a fool and this, he did not take lightly. His knuckles turned white gripping the steering wheel. He needed a release. He needed to forget. Drugs would be a person's first guess but he was never one for being intoxicated. He enjoyed it from time to time, but not nearly as often as most around him.  
>No. He needed something else. Something physical. Something he wanted from her, something he'd never have.<p>

* * *

><p>The stranger tossed her bra across the room and crawled onto his lap. He'd forgotten her name (something with an S? Or maybe a C?) but didn't care because she was worthless. She was merely a distraction. The name given to him wasn't even real. She was an illusion. Something he put Kinzie's face on and imagined the best. After putting on protection (He always had very strong rules regarding these things) he began his trip into diversion. It wasn't working. The woman's bleached hair turned red, her brown eyes blue, her moans sounded different too. The distraction didn't work. Not as he planned. Before long it was over. She asked for payment and he gave it to her. Anything to make her go away. He felt dirty. His skin crawled. He quickly left the strip club and sped home to the Saints HQ. The whole time he felt like he was inside someone elses body.<p>

The elevator doors opened. No one was there. A small miracle. He quickly removed his clothing and got into his shower. Scrubbing away the sweat, the filth. It wasn't enough. It wasn't ridding himself of her. He closed his eyes and let the hot water run over his face. He felt the pain go away, down the drain following the soapy residue. He finally was able to think of attempting to sleep that night when his phone rang. He stared at it for a moment as it vibrated on the counter. He finally grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist, he didn't bother drying. He picked up his cell phone and looked at the caller ID.  
>His stomach gave a lurch, his mouth went dry. It was Kinzie.<p>

All his previous efforts to purge himself of her vanished in that instant. He suddenly wished she was there. Wished he could feel her skin, smell her hair, hear her speak. He opened his phone.

"Kinzie." He spoke, noticing how very rough his voice sounded.

"Max? Are you okay?"

She had said his name. And he didn't care. It felt good to have it come from her lips.

"I'm fine. 'Specially now."

"Why?" She asked.

"Cause you called of course."

She was quiet. He imagined her face reddening again. God, he wished he could see it.

"I just called to ask something." She said.

"Sure."

"I get out tomorrow, but I have no way of getting home and no cash for a cab so-"

"I'll pick you up. What time?" Maxwell broke in.

"After 12?" She sounded a little shocked at his eagerness.

"That's fine. I'll see you then." He prepared to say goodbye and go back to his night of torture when she spoke again.

"You didn't come back."

Maxwell looked down. His stomach turned again.

"No, well...Something came up, you see. Sorry." The shame in his voice was apparent.

"I just wanted to tell you something. Something that's been on my mind for a long time now."

"Why didn't you just-" He began.

"It's something that I wanted to say because I realized that day the Deckers attacked me that I may never get to tell you because something bad may happen to one of us."

"Well, Kinzie you can tell me now if you-" He started again but she cut him down once more.

"And this is really hard for me because I've never felt this way before and I still don't even know how to feel-"

It was his turn to interrupt.

"Kinzie just say it." He spoke firmly, almost yelling.

The phone went quiet. He was about to ask if she was even still there when she spoke loudly. Five words rang into his ears where they would continue to bounce around for an unnamed amount of time.

"I'm in love with you!" She hung up. Maxwell stared into space for a moment then back at his phone. He redialed her number several times, getting no response.  
>He was getting ready to head back to the hospital to see her when Shaundi called him.<p>

"Shaundi, I'm about to leave so-"

"The Deckers are heading to the hospital right now!" She yelled.

"What?" He spoke, dumbstruck.

"Matt sent a team to kill Kinzie. He knows she hacked into his computer." She said, slightly calmer, simply for the sake of him understanding what she was saying.

Maxwell gripped his phone tightly, he felt blood pulsing in his temples. His anger was reaching new heights.

"I'm on my way."

* * *

><p>Driven by pure rage, Maxwell reached the hospital quickly. Outside it's doors stood several Saints holding various firearms as well as a few of the Deckers vehicles that were empty. Maxwell got out of his car quickly.<p>

"The hell are you doing? Get in there!" He shouted towards the Saints.

"Boss, they locked all the doors. We can't get in." One brave Saint called.

Maxwell's heart was hammering in his head. He had to think but he couldn't shake the feeling that he was already loosing her.  
>He looked toward the door. He had an idea. He ran to the trunk of his car, opened it then looked inside. What he searched for wasn't there.<p>

"Fuck!" He cursed.

"Boss? What are you-" A Saint began.

"RPG! Do any of you have one?" He spoke loudly so the small gathering could hear. One female saint quickly spoke up.

"In my truck!"

"Get it and give it to me! These doors are gonna get blown open."

The younger woman in a pink rocker dress and fishnets ran to her truck. Relief refused to offer Maxwell any help, he still wasn't done yet.  
>The girl returned with the rocket launcher she struggled to carry. Maxwell took it from her, holding it much easily than she.<p>

"Thanks,love." He spoke then headed a little closer to the doors. He locked onto them then turned to speak to the Saints.

"If any of you value your lives or vehicles I suggest you leave now."

They stared back at him for a moment then all got into their vehicles and drove a safe distance away. Seeing the crowd leave, Maxwell fired a missile at the doors.  
>The building shook at the explosion took out the doorway, leaving nothing but fiery rubble. He lowered the launcher, adjusting his glasses. The Saints lifted their heads to see the damage. He turned back towards them once more.<p>

"Let's go Saints!"

* * *

><p>Maxwell left the rocket launcher outside and stuck with his favored weapons; a pair of 45 Shepards. Trailed by 4 other Saints, he headed through the lobby. The power had been cut so the darkness was thick. The two nurses that had been working earlier lay dead on the floor from gunshot wounds. He stepped over their bodies, keeping ears and eyes alert for Deckers. They came to a corner, he peeked around the wall and saw 5 Deckers standing outside the curtain of Kinzie's room. He motioned to the other Saints who nodded back. They rounded the corner and began to fire at the Deckers, catching them off guard. Once they had all fell, Maxwell sprinted to her room and pulled back the curtain. Inside was nothing but her bed, the sheets tossed onto the floor in a pile.<p>

"Fuck!" Maxwell cursed. He turned to find one of the Deckers who was still conscious. He grabbed the young man by the collar of his shirt.

"Where the fuck is she?" He shouted angrily into the man's face.

The Decker laughed back at him.

"You ain't gonna find her, mate! She's done!" The Decker continued laughing madly. Maxwell had reached his limit. He gripped both hands around the laughing Deckers throat, squeezing as tight as he could. The laughing immediately stopped.

The insane humor in the man's eyes quickly turned into terror.

"If you don't tell me where the fuck you brought her I swear to God I'll-"

"Under...the big...statue." The man gurgled.

Maxwell loosened his grip.

"What's Matt's plan?"

"He's taking her there cause it's where they first met. They used to date. He's gonna off her himself."

Maxwell stared into the man's eyes. He never knew she was with Miller at one point. He knew about how Mayor Reynolds had a thing with her but he never would have guessed she'd go after someone so young. He had to get moving.

"Thanks for the tip." Said Maxwell, pulling out his gun.

"Wha? Wait! I don't get to li-"

A shot rang out through the hospital as Maxwell fired at the man's head, silencing him quickly. His followers gathered around him. A young man spoke up.

"Boss? What do you need?"

Maxwell stood up, dusting his coat off, fixing his tie. He removed his glasses and used a cloth from his pocket to wipe the blood splatter off of the lenses. He held them to the light, inspecting for any missed spots then placed them back into his face. He looked over his followers then spoke quietly but firmly.

"We need a boat."

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6 -End<strong>


	7. Showoff Showdown

**Chapter 7**

**-Showoff Showdown-**

Maxwell arrived at the docks that looked out to the star shaped island where Kinzie was held. He had just returned from a quick stop to Friendly Fire where he stocked up on as much ammo as he could carry. He and the Saints who had helped him at the hospital earlier boarded into a stray _Miami_ they found sitting in the water. One of the Saints spoke up to Maxwell.

"We need to be on high alert, Boss. He's probably got people patrolling the waters."

Maxwell nodded in agreement.

"Aye. You take the controls, I'll help keep them off."

"Yes sir." Said the young man, sitting down at the wheel of the ship.

Maxwell stared out over the water and at the massive statue of a man pouring lead. He felt the boat come to life beneath his feet then begin to accelerate. Maxwell was never particularly fond of boats, even more so after what happened on Hughes' boat that infamous night so many years ago. He always found his breath caught a little short, his heart beating a little faster each time he boarded one. Although now, his heart raced for a different reason. What if he was too late? What if he let yet another friend go? He couldn't. He just wouldn't have it. Just then, cutting through his thoughts and nearly through his arm, a bullet passed by, followed by another, then even more. Two boats were heading straight for them from the West, raining gunfire down upon their boat.

"Keep those controls!" Max shouted to the driver.

Maxwell pulled out his Shepards and began to fire back, aiming for the driver of the enemy boat. One bullet made contact and the boat pulled to the side, slowly stopping while the remaining members struggled to regain control of their vehicle. Maxwell and the rest of the Saints fired at them until one of their crafts exploded, sending the flaming bodies of the Deckers into the air. The other boat was wiped clean of people.

"Think we got 'em." One female Saint said.

"Boss, we're just about there! Get ready to go!" The driver shouted over his shoulder.

Maxwell quickly reloaded his guns. He jumped out of the boat and onto the stone dock once the boat was near enough, he refused to wait for the thing to come to a full stop. He headed up the stairs, the other Saints following close behind him. Before reaching the final step of the stair case, he and the others were fired at by an enormous gathering of Deckers. Maxwell fired as quickly as he could, ducking and running when necessary. One Decker grabbed the man who had driven the boat here and took him as a shield. Maxwell aimed for his head and hit him directly between the eyes, freeing the young Saint.

"Thanks, Boss."

"Just keep shooting." Maxwell shouted.

The constant fire tapered down to just a couple pops then to nothing. Maxwell stood in the middle of all the bodies. There had to have been more than twenty of them. He saw that one of his Saints was hurt, but was pleased to see it was only a minor injury to their forearm. He looked over the land of the island, searching for the leader of the Deckers.

"C'mon Matt! That all you got, mate? No video games to help ya' now, eh? Come on out and take your medicine like a man!" Maxwell taunted, a smirk stretching his lips. He was about to say more when the injured member spoke up.

"B-b-boss?"

Maxwell turned around to see what the Saint sounded so afraid of. What he saw made his eyes widen and his jaw hang slack. Stood behind himself and his followers was Matt Miller, holding the most unbelievable weapon he had ever laid eyes on. The weapon was massive but seemed weightless from how Miller held it. It was designed like a beefed up RPG launcher, it was pitch black in color save for a neon blue high lighting on the details that made it stand out in true Decker fashion.

"The fuck?" Was all Maxwell could get out before Miller launched his first rocket. The backlash was deafening, snapping him from his deer-in-the-headlights state. He quickly jumped to the side. The injured man and the young girl weren't so lucky. Nothing remained of their bodies but ash after the rocket connected. Miller reloaded then set his sights back on Maxwell, firing again once acquiring a target. Maxwell continued to run and jump out of the way. He began to run, anywhere just to get his bearings,  
>to assess the situation and figure out the best possible solution. People wouldn't guess it, but he was quite the strategist. He just had a rough way of executing his plans.<p>

"What's wrong, Maxxy? Can't fight your betters?" Miller cried out in his posh accent.

Maxwell and his driver reached a small tunnel designed for tourists to sit and relax. He knew his name? How did he know his name? He looked over at his one remaining Saint.

"You've done good, mate. I need your gun. You can sit this one out."

"But, Boss. I can-"

"Stay here. Give me your gun." Maxwell growled at him. The Saint swallowed then accepted his defeat, handing his automatic rifle over.

"Thanks." Maxwell said as he ran back out of the tunnel. He dived outside back into the sun and fired at Miller, who blocked the bullets with his strange weapon.

"Give it up, Maxxy. I'm the winner! I'm the new ruler of Steelport now! You're finished!" Miller cried.

Lowering his weapon, Miller locked onto Maxwell's form.

"Good night, Saint." Miller's dark blue lips pulled into a Cheshire grin as he pulled the trigger. The missile launched. Dirt and rubble flew into the sky, shrouding everything momentarily. Miller looked over his massive gun and laughed.

"He's gone! I did it! I did it!" He threw his head back and laughed into the sky.

"I guess you really are heavenly now, eh Maxxy?" His wild laughter stopped when he heard the click of a gun right behind his head.

"No. But you're about to be." A thick accent came behind him. As fast as his laughing stopped, Miller rammed his gun into Maxwell's stomach as hard as he could manage, completely knocking the wind out of the leader of the Saints. Maxwell shot at him but missed. He couldn't breathe from the pain emitting from his abdomen. He fell to his knees. Looking up he saw Miller climbing onto a ladder thrown from a helicopter above them.

"We'll see each other soon, Maxxy!" Miller continued to laugh as he was pulled up. Maxwell struggled to his feet, running against the burning pain in his middle to fire at Miller and his getaways. It was no use. He fell to the ground once more, the last thing he saw was the worried face of the Saint who had lent him the rifle.

* * *

><p>He heard waves. He smelt the salty air. He felt the movement of the water. He opened his eyes, everything was much darker than he had imagined. Everything was much better than imagined as well. Because she was there. Her face hung over his, tears filled her eyes.<p>

"B-boss." She cried. "You're okay."

"Just fine, love." He croaked back. He winced when he felt the pain in his stomach again, with it came back the memory of what just happened.

"Miller? Where is the fu-" He sat up then cried out in pain as his broken ribs screamed in protest. He fell back down, Kinzie ran a hand through his hair.

"Boss, it's fine. He...he got away...but we'll get him. We gotta get you fixed up though."

"You're safe." He smiled weakly through the agony. He raised his hand to touch her face,half expecting her to be a figment of his imagination. He found it was wet with her tears. She put her hand on his. His vision suddenly went blurred on the left side when a rain drop hit the lens of his glasses. He finally realized why it was so dark despite the time. Another rain storm was coming.

"I'm fine. You got there just in time." She spoke quietly to him.

He closed his eyes, a serene smile on his lips.

"Good, I'm glad."

She smiled back at him. She fought the urge long enough. Since seeing him she wanted to hold him. She lowered herself to him, her arms under his head lifting his face closer to hers, she held him tightly but carefully. She didn't want to hurt him. He was taken aback at first by the sudden affection but soon closed his eyes, wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her back. He held her like that for a few moments, the both of them wouldn't have minded staying like that forever. But Kinzie broke the hold, knowing they were reaching land soon. If she was gonna do this, she was gonna do it now.

"I was scared Kinzie. Thought I'd loose ya'." Maxwell whispered, his face close to hers, her hands still under his head, fingers through his copper hair.

"I was scared too. After I saw what Miller had, I didn't know how you would get out alive."

"What was that thing anyway?"

She smiled softly.

"That's not important now." She replied.

They stared at each other for a moment, their eyes searching the emotions and thoughts of the others. Maxwell finally said what he'd been wanting to say for almost a year. Ever since he first felt that damn fluttering in his belly.

"I'm in love with you too." He spoke quietly to her.

Her eyes immediately teared up again. Her face reddened so much her freckles vanished. She replied in the only way she could at that moment. She let out a sound that was a mixture of a laugh and a sob, then softly and hesitantly pressed her lips against his. Maxwell laced his fingers through her wet hair and slowly deepened the kiss. Her lips parted, allowing their tongues to meet. Neither of them could think of anything, could feel anything other than the sensation of each others kiss. She ended it by planting one last peck on his mouth, one that he greatly returned. She smiled widely at him, her face was in flames from the mix of excitement, happiness and nervousness. Maxwell's heart pumped away in his chest. He couldn't even really feel his damaged rib cage for the moment.

"I love you, Kinzie." He whispered to her.

"I love you too, Max." She whispered back.

The driver continued driving back to the shore, completely unknowing of the secret romance budding behind him.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter7-End<strong>

**Author's Note: This is just the end of part 1 so I really hope you come back to read the later chapters!  
><strong>


	8. Party Planner

**Chapter 8**

**-Party Planner-**

The remainder of the trip was mostly a blur to Maxwell, all he could really find himself focusing on was what he and Kinzie shared. He could still barely feel the softness of her lips on his. He longed for more but knew he couldn't risk asking. So he lay on the floor of the boat, his eyes either closed or staring at Kinzie. His ears attuned to the thunder rolling in the sky and the hum of the boat's engine. They reached land soon after, a Saint stood on shore near a _Criminal_ truck, waiting to drive them to the hospital, Maxwell guessed. Kinzie and the driver helped Maxwell in the backseat, taking good care to not put too much pressure on his damaged ribs. Kinzie walked around the back of the truck and got in next to him,  
>placing his head delicately on her lap.<p>

"How are you feeling?" She asked softly, her hand stroking his hair.

"It's bloody painful, but I'll manage." Maxwell grunted.

Kinzie smiled down at him, her hand still in his hair. He had wanted this a long time. And now that he had it, he didn't want it to end. He tried to look back into the banks of his memory but drew short on anything that felt this good. Nothing felt this way.

* * *

><p>The last thing he saw was her before he was put under. While sedated he dreamed of Miller. He dreamed that he had found the bastard and rung his throat, silencing his laughter forever. He dreamed that Angel was found and that Killbane was no more. He dreamed that Steelport was his. He dreamed that he was surrounded by women, money, everything he could ever desire. But these things, he found, no longer held his concentration. He heard her call his name, her frame standing in front of a light, her body a silhouette. He left everything to follow this mirage. He walked towards her, calling her name.<p>

"Max? Max?" Her voice called back.

He opened his eyes and saw her face above his. No longer a silhouette, but the bright lights remained behind her._ Hospital lights_ he thought.  
><em>I'm in a bloody hospital.<em>

"You were moaning. Have a bad dream?" She asked. He noticed they were alone.

"Actually it was a good one." He slurred. He was still pretty medicated, the room tilted slightly.

"So what was my damage?" He asked.

"The doctors said you had 4 broken ribs." She answered.

He snorted. "Well that's one for the list."

"You keep a list of broken body parts?" She asked. It wasn't often that she was the one weirded out.

"Doesn't everyone?"

Kinze only shook her head. Maxwell had a thought.

"Wait, now. I thought you knew everything about me?"

"The internet only reveals so much." She shrugged.

"You know, I'd be happy to tell you more. You don't have to go digging for it."

She didn't respond at first.

"Why do you trust me?" She asked, her face no longer light-hearted.

"Do I need a reason not to?" He answered.

"No. It's just...I know how secretive you are. How you're willing to risk everything to remain concealed. Why are you so willing to talk to me about personal things?"

Maxwell thought for a moment. He tried to answer but he just couldn't. He didn't have a reason behind this. He hardly understood how he felt about the whole situation himself, how was he supposed to explain it to her? There was one thing he could make sense of.

"I guess I just don't care with you because you already know more than anyone in the Saints. Maybe anyone period. And if there was something you didn't know, I'm sure you'd find a way. No offense, love, but you're a bit of a busy body."

She blushed, her expression guilty. Mawell laughed and held his hand out to her. She examined it a moment then took it into hers.

"No worries, love. Some things just don't have an answer, you know."

She didn't answer, but stared into his eyes.

"What is it?" He asked her.

"We're gonna have to keep this secret, huh?"

Her words knocked him off the cloud he had been sailing for the past few minutes.

"Now why do you think that?"

"Because I've heard what Peirce and Shaundi say about me. They don't like me."

"Maybe if you weren't tapping their phones, they'd have a better opinion." He returned. She ignored this and went on.

"They don't trust me. They think that I'm just getting information for the police and that's not true." The last words sounded a little broken. He had to stop her before she started crying.

"Love, don't listen to them, alright? What they think doesn't matter. I trust you, and you're very important to me. Nothing else should matter."

Kinzie wiped at her leaking eyes with the sleeve of her sweater. She looked like she had more to say but if she did, she kept it to herself.

"Everything's fine. We aren't going to hide anything. I've never been one for being silent, you know."

She sniffled, a small smile forming on her face.

"You are a bit of a show-off." She giggled. Maxwell smiled. Her happiness was contagious. They both looked at the door of his room when someone knocked.

"Hey Boss, it's me and Shaundi." Peirce called.

Kinzie looked at him a moment, waiting for her hand to be released. He only smiled back at her and continued his hold. The door opened and his Lieutenants stepped inside.  
>Both Shaundi and Peirce carried a bag of fast food.<p>

"Sup, Boss. Got ya' some food. I know how that hospital shit can get old." Peirce handed him a burger from the bag then took one out for himself. Shaundi held one out to Kinzie.

"Hungry?" Shaundi asked. Kiznie silently took it.

Maxwell saw Peirce and Shaundi's eyes glance at where his hand was when they first came in. He had to get prepared for another lecture again later. He sat up and got to work on his burger, Kiznie pulled hers apart and ate the small pieces.

"So, what's the word, Peirce? Any idea where Miller's at?" Maxwell asked, not bothering to swallow first.

"Not yet but we did hear about a bunch of Decker's getting together for some kind of event this weekend. Thinkin' it's gonna be a rallying cry." Peirce answered.

"If we crash their little party, we won't have to worry about that. We'll just kill the prick there." Shaundi spoke.

"My exact thought, Shaundi." Maxwell agreed."What day and time?"

"Around 10 PM on Saturday. Somewhere in Salander. We're waiting on the brains over here to find the details." Shaundi said, nodding her head towards Kinzie.

"Better get working, love. I ain't gonna be in this bed forever." Maxwell said to Kinzie. She nodded, tossing the remnants of the burger into a nearby trashcan. She bent under her chair and pulled out her laptop.

"Why am I not surprised you have that?" Maxwell said.

"Never leave home without it." She smiled then began typing away. Maxwell looked back at Shaundi and Peirce.

"I want you guys to keep your ears open. See if any other Decker business is going down. I wouldn't have thought it before, but that Miller kid's got guts to come fucking with us like he did, so I don't want to mess around, got it?"

"Got it." They said in unison.

"Another thing." Maxwell looked back towards Kiznie.

"I've got to ask. What in the word was Miller using? The thing looked like one of the weapons you've made."

Kinzie's eyes avoided his.

"Well...Yeah..."

Maxwell cocked a brow.

"Kinze. What do you know?"

She sighed then looked up from the screen.

"It was a weapon prototype I was working on when I was...dating...him..."

Peirce and Shaundi's eyes widened.

"He's a little young, ain't he?" Shaundi said slyly.

"I didn't know his age at first and it was never anything serious. Well, not to me anyway. He was obsessed."

"So wait, you made that thing?" Maxwell asked.

"I made the blue prints for it yes. He must've got someone else to finish it."

"He doesn't have any other of your blueprints laying around does he?"

"Probably." Kinzie spoke, eyes trained back on the screen.

"Well that's fucking great." Shaundi cursed.

"None where designed to be as powerful as that one he used. So I wouldn't get too worried." Kinzie said. She let out a sigh. "It would be just like him to break out the best one first."

"See? Nothing to worry about." Said Maxwell to Shaundi and Peirce. They looked less than convinced.

"Well, we better get going, Boss. We'll see ya' later." Peirce said, headed towards the door.

"Right, mate. Take care." He waited a few moments after they left. He then turned to Kinzie who was still feverishly at work on her laptop.

"What did you see in Miller, anyway?"

"I dunno. He was kinda cute and I was stupid." She spoke quickly.

"Is that thing about Mayor Reynolds true?" He knew he was pushing it now.

"Let's not talk about that."

"Okay, okay."

They were both quiet a moment till Kinzie spoke up.

"Alright, I've hacked into the secret code the Deckers have been using. They've been discussing the party. Seems like it's gonna be at a random warehouse that was recently turned into a hangout. It's called Binary. I've got the address."

"So it's a date, then?"

Kinzie looked up from her laptop, confused.

"Date?"

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 8-End<strong>


	9. Bedtime Stories

**Chapter 9**

**-Bedtime Stories-**

"What do you mean by 'date?'" Kinzie asked cautiously, finally looking up from the screen of her laptop.

"What do you think I mean?" Maxwell smirked.

Kinzie's cheeks reddened. Her face was stern.

"You know I don't like going anywhere. I mean, the only reason I'm here is because of you."

"And you have no idea how much I appreciate your company. However, I think you should also accompany me to the party is weekend."

"Why?" She asked, face holding it's aforementioned expression.

"A number of reasons." Maxwell lifted one hand and ticked his explanations off with the other.

"It gets you out of the house, for one."

Kinzie rolled her eyes.

"It would give us some quality time together."

"Killing gang members is what you consider quality-"

He raised both eyebrows at her, a smirk stretched his face.

"Never mind, don't answer that." She spoke, her eyes affixed themselves back to the screen.

"And finally." He continued. "I want you to be there when I take Miller down."

She looked up at him.

"Why?" She said slowly.

"He's put you through hell, Kinzie. He made you loose your job at the FBI, he's stolen from you, he's damn near killed you twice.  
>You think I'm gonna let that little fuck walk?"<p>

"That's all between him and I."

"And my name used to be between myself and no one else." His fired back. His words hit her like poison. Her expression held guilt. She looked down at her screen once again but her eyes weren't taking in it's information. Instead they were closed, trying to hide.

"Look, what I meant was I've now made it my business. He's hurt you. A person I care deeply for and I'm just not gonna let him get away with that, okay?"

She kept her position and said nothing.

"Kinzie." Maxwell said quietly. She looked up, her eyes full of shame. He held his hand out to her.

"You mean everything to me, love."

Kiznie took his hand in hers. She took a deep breath with her eyes closed. When she opened them, the earlier guilt was replaced with a determination he had only seen from her when she was hacking.

"Okay." She said. "What's the plan?"

* * *

><p>2 days passed when Maxwell finally left, much to the dismay of all the doctors and nurses who had worked on him. He was feeling fine.<br>Sore, but fine. Pain was no stranger to him, not with his line of work. A couple of healing ribs was nothing to him. Not when he was so ready for a fight. He couldn't wait to get his hands on Matt. Kinzie, who stayed by his side the whole time there, sat next to him in his Bootlegger. Peirce rode in the back behind Maxwell. They had just left the hospital.

"So what's the plan, Boss? I was thinking we could get some disguises, you know, go in there as Decker's then-"

"We're gonna go in and kill the whole bloody lot of them, that's the plan, Peirce."

Peirce didn't look happy with this idea. He usually never was with anything offered from his boss.

"But what about all the guys there? The place is gonna be loaded. And all we're bringing is a couple Saints, Shaundi, myself and you."

"And Kiznie." Said Maxwell. Kinzie looked out the window, pretending to have not heard the last part. Her laptop was held close to her chest.

"What?" Peirce looked flabbergasted.

"What's wrong with that, Peirce?" Maxwell eyed his lieutenant from the rear-view mirror.

"Boss, no offense but she's more brains than brawn."

"I'm sure Kinzie will have no problem taking on those Deckers. We'll just lend her some guns, give her a crash course in shooting-"

"Boss, do you hear yourself? A lot has happened to her recently, a lot of bad shit. I know you guys like each other too so maybe bringing her into such a dangerous situ-"

"What does our relationship have to do with this?" Maxwell cut him off.

"I'm just sayin' that maybe this is too much for her to-"

Kinzie, who had grown tired of being silent, turned herself around quickly to look at Peirce, gripping her seat.

"Peirce, SHUT UP. Thanks for worrying but I can handle myself, okay?" She shouted. Peirce stared back at her from the backseat. His eyes wide. Maxwell 's expression was no different.

She turned back around in her seat, securing her hold on her laptop, and shut her eyes.

The rest of the drive back to HQ was quiet. It seemed as though the argument was settled.

* * *

><p>The training course Maxwell suggested turned out to be unnecessary. Kinzie was greatly skilled with firearms from the looks of things. For shooting, she was average but as far as general knowledge of the mechanics of things, she far exceeded everyone else with her wisdom. He let her choose from his own collection which weapon she wanted to carry since she didn't own any. She chose a fully upgraded K-8 Krukov much to the pleasure of Maxwell. She even had a good taste in fire arms.<p>

It was the night before their assault on the Decker's. Kinzie collected her things after they finished target practice. Maxwell sat on a bench, polishing his Shepard pistols.

"You're doing great, love. You'll have no problem at Binary."

Kinzie put more of her things into a backpack, getting ready to be driven home by Maxwell.

"You really think so?" She asked.

"Absolutely." Maxwell said smiling.

Kinzie blushed then looked down at her things, resuming her packing process.

Maxwell stared at her a moment then put his gun and polishing cloth to the side, standing up. She looked up when she heard him get up. He walked closer to her.

"I was just thinking. We've only kissed that one time. Why is that?"

Kinzie's slight pink blush turned red.

"I-I'm not sure." She stumbled over her words as he drew nearer. He was finally standing over her. Damn he was tall. She just barely reached his shoulder with her head.  
>No wonder so many feared him, just standing next to him was enough to intimidate a person. Although, her issues with people didn't help at all. He bent his face close to hers.<p>

"Could I have another one now?" He spoke quietly.

Kiznie swallowed, her heart was pounding. Her stomach fluttered. Her cheeks burned. These things seemed to always happen when he was this close. She looked up at his face.

"I don't see why not." She answered. He smiled, bringing a hand to her face to caress her skin. His lips met hers soon after. They kissed softly, Maxwell holding himself back for her sake. His restraint wavered when she brought both her hands to his hair, entwining her fingers in his reddish hair. He responded by wrapping both arms around her waist, pressing his body against hers tightly. She'd never been in arms like his. They were hardly anything but muscle, they were strong, and they felt like stone but here he was, holding her firmly but delicately as if she was fragile. She mentally kicked herself when she remembered that she was. He stopped kissing her and brought his lips to her ear.

"I wanna make love to you." He whispered. Her eyes, which were until now half-lidded in pleasure, now widened, her mouth open in a silent gasp.

"Wh-what?" She stuttered, pulling back to look into his eyes.

"I want to show you how much I love you." His voice was raspy with arousal, she was suddenly aware of something firm pressing against her lower abdomen. Her sudden realization nearly made her jump.

"Max, I...I don't know..." Her voice carried her nervousness with it. Her heart banged in her chest. The flutter in her stomach felt amplified.

"We don't have to. We can wait." He spoke, trying not to stress her.

"I want to, I just...don't...have much...experience." She said slowly to avoid stuttering again.

"That's fine, love. Then we can just-"

"Like, no experience." She continued.

"Oh...oh..." Was all he could seem to get out. He had figured she hadn't been around much just because of her agoraphobia and general distrust of strangers. But he'd never thought she'd be completely abstinent. She really was the complete opposite of his usual choice of women.

"You're...a virgin?" He spoke slowly and quietly.

Kinzie was biting her lower lip nervously. She looked up at Maxwell and only nodded. He stared back at her a moment then smiled.

"Well, that's just fine, love. If you're not ready I understand." He spoke kindly. She smiled back at him.

"You've never been with a 25 year old virgin before?" She asked.

"You're 25?" He answered with a question of his own. He had honestly thought she was around 19 or 20. _Christ, I didn't even know her age, _He thought.  
>He broke his hold from her and took a step back.<p>

"We should wait." He said.

"What? Why?" Kinzie's voice sounded disappointed.

"Because, Kinzie. You're special. I want to know more about you first."

"You can learn about me after..." She suggested quietly. Her face was sad. Maxwell smiled then stepped back to her and hugged her.

"You deserve the best, love. We'll wait a while." He whispered.

"Is it me? Is that it? You think I'm weird?" Her voice choked. He pulled back. His smile gone.

"No. Not at all. Don't you understand? You are more to me than just a fuck. I want to learn about you. I want to know everything. Yeah, I've never met a 25 year old virgin before but that doesn't put me off at all. It makes me want you even more in fact." With his last words he dropped his hands back to her waist, gripping her hips, illustrating his desire.

"Okay?" He asked, looking into her eyes.

"Yeah..." She smiled weakly. He smiled back and kissed her forehead.

"C'mon, we gotta get some rest for tomorrow." He said taking one of her hands.

"Yeah, I gotta get home."

"No, you're staying here." He said simply, walking towards the exit of the shooting range, his hand still with hers. She stopped.

"Huh? No. I gotta get back to my place." She said, looking defensive.

"If I take you home to that filthy place you'll stay up all night in front of that bloody computer."

"So? I work better without sleep."

"Kinzie. The healthiest I've ever seen you was when you were at the hospital. Ironic, no? Well, that's because when you were there you were sleeping."

"And now I can't think straight."

"That's fine. You don't need to think now anyway, just sleep." Maxwell snatched her up and she let out a scream. He began his walk back to the exit.

"No! Max! I can't sleep! I won't be able to function tomorrow!" She cried hanging over his shoulder.

"Lalala, sorry can't hear you, love."

* * *

><p>She had stopped thrashing around finally when they got to his room upstairs. He let her down inside his bathroom then walked out and towards a dresser. He dug around in it and found a smaller shirt he thought would fit her. He tossed it to her as she stood staring from the bathroom.<p>

"What am I doing?"

"Putting the shirt on and getting into this bed." He pointed to the king size bed with purple sheets.

"I can sleep on the couch..." She offered.

"No. I gotta keep an eye on you and make sure you leave that blasted laptop alone." He went back to his drawer to find his own sleeping clothes.

"How can you keep an eye on me when you're sleeping?"

"Cause I'm good like that, now get undressed."

She pouted a moment wringing the shirt in her hands, but soon closed the bathroom door. He got undressed as well while she was in there. When she finally came out he couldn't help but stare. His gray shirt was huge on her, the collar hung loose and exposed one of her shoulders. Her hair was down, brushed forward to fall over her breasts. He's never seen more of her skin than her face and hands before that day at the hospital and even then he had only seen the rest of her arms. But now he saw that and the long, thin length of her pale legs. During this time, Kinzie had herself an eyeful too. Maxwell, who usually wore dark suits and coats, was now standing before her with nothing but black cloth sleep pants on. She stared at the architecture of his body. His muscles were as big as she imagined. He wasn't a body builder, it didn't look off or strange as most men with big muscles did. His seemed to be distributed perfectly over his body. She noticed a single tattoo on his left forearm. It looked like two entwining snakes. She wondered the story behind it. Her eyes found his chest, which was also nicely chiseled and covered lightly with reddish brown hair.

"What?" He asked."

"Nothing..." She said, snapping herself out of it. Maxwell sat his phone on his bedside table and climbed under the sheets to lay on his side. He smiled at her and patted the bed, inviting her to lay down. Kinzie swallowed then carefully got under the sheets. He got close to her.

"Comfy?" He asked.

"Yeah."

"Roll over." He said.

"Why?"

"So I can hold you."

She blushed but turned away from him as he'd asked. He pressed his body to her back, his right arm under her head and the left holding her body. His body was warm against hers.

"Night." He said, kissing above her left eye. Kinzie couldn't help but smile at how good this all felt.

"Night."

It wasn't long till Maxwell's breathing slowed, indicating he had fallen asleep. Kinzie's smile hadn't faded. She could have been hacking right now. Learning more information she wasn't supposed to. She could even be power-leveling. So much to be done. But she didn't want any of it. Tomorrow wasn't certain. She could die tomorrow. He could die tomorrow. But this didn't eat at her as she would've imagined. She found herself content here, in the arms of this psychotic, homicidal gang leader. More than content. She was, for once, despite all the odds, happy.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter9-End<strong>


	10. Binary Prt1

**Chapter 10**

**-Binary Prt.1-**

Kinzie awoke to the brightness and warmth of afternoon sunlight. She found the room completely lit from the morning's rays shining though the completely windowed wall the bed faced. She observed her surroundings. This was the first time she had been to Maxwell's house which was also the Saints HQ. She thought the place looked strange with it's modern and futuristic furniture. Purple , of course, was the main color scheme. The size of the whole room was getting to her, she found her head starting to throb.  
>She wasn't used to being in such a wide open place. She tried to shake the unfamiliarity off. She looked at a clock on the wall. It had read 1:12PM. She looked down at Maxwell. She was taken aback at how innocent and childlike he looked when sleeping. She realized that this was the first time she'd seen him in such a deep slumber. She had seen him when he was dozing in the hospital but he never seemed as content as he looked now. She couldn't keep from smiling at how serene he looked. She stroked some bangs back away from his face.<p>

"Maxwell." She whispered into his ear.

His face scrunched a bit and he let out a groan.

"It's morning. We've got stuff to do."

"Yeah..." He mumbled.

"Really, Max. Time to get up." She pressed against his shoulder, trying to jar him from his sleep.

"Okay, okay." He grunted, rolling onto his back to stretch his body. He let out a long yawn.

"Morning." Said Kinzie, smiling at him.

Maxwell opened his eyes and looked at her. He gave a smile back.

"'Mornin',love." His voice was rougher than usual from sleeping.

Kinzie stretched herself, sitting up in the bed. She went to get out of bed but Maxwell grabbed her and pressed her back down to the mattress, pinning her to the bed with his weight. Her wrists held over her head by his hands.

"I was gonna get dressed." She said flatly.

Ignoring her protest, He brought his lips to her left ear and began to lick and nibble at it. The sudden flirtatious assault startled her. She let out a gasp that was a mixture of surprise and pleasure.

"As much as I enjoy this-" She began.

"Aw, c'mon. We don't have to be at the party till tonight. What's the rush?"

"I just wanted to get dressed." She replied.

"But you look so good like this..."

Kinzie blushed at his lustful words but finally gave up her fight. When she finally caught him away from one of her ears she put her hands on either side of his head and brought him into a deep kiss. He gladly returned the kiss with enthusiasm. After a few moments, he came up for air.

"So, you hungry?"

"A little, I guess."

"Let's go get us some brekkie, eh?"

Kinizie rose an eyebrow.

"Brekkie?"

"Eh, yeah, I let my roots get to me sometimes. C'mon, let's get moving." He planted one last kiss on her forehead then got out of the bed. He stretched once again then took his glasses from his nightstand, putting them on. Kinzie sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She noticed that she had slept with her glasses on. Hardly ever sleeping, she never had many reasons to take them off. She looked toward the wall and her vision seemed to tilt slightly.

"Okay, love?" Maxwell asked.

"I think my glasses are messed up."

He walked over to her and let out a chuckle when he saw her look at him through her lopsided lenses.

"Give 'em here." He chuckled.

She hesitated a moment then raised her hand and removed them. She handed the frames to Maxwell who took them then began to straighten them.

"That's not good you know, sleeping with them on. Can really mess them up that way." Maxwell said sarcastically.

"Sorry, I'm not used to sleeping yet." Kinzie defended.

"Oh settle down, I'm just messin' with ya'. I'll remind you next time."

He handed them back to Kinzie who put them back on quickly.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it. Now, get dressed. I'm starving."

He walked back over to his side of the bed towards the black dresser. Kinzie got up and went to a small glass table that was near the foot of the bed. On it was the clothing that she had worn last night. She thought back to the night before. She remembered just getting undressed and leaving her clothes in a small pile in the bathroom. Yet here they were, neatly folded as if awaiting her arrival.

"What's happened to my clothes?"

"Oh, one of the girls does my laundry." Maxwell said over his shoulder, searching his drawers for some pants.

"You can't be serious."

"Someone's gotta do it."

Kinzie rolled her eyes but picked up her clothes and headed towards the bathroom. Once inside she got dressed. Maxwell was buttoning up a white collared shirt when Peirce and Shaundi walked out of the elevator.

"Hey guys." Maxwell called to his lieutenants.

"Sup boss." Peirce called back. They walked to his room, sitting in the chairs that stood near the glass table. Peirce took off his sunglasses, Shaundi crossed her legs.

"So, we ready for tonight?" Peirce asked.

"More than ready. Figured we'd get some food first then head to Friendly Fire."

"And the rest of the day? The party isn't till after nightfall around eight." Shaundi reminded him. Maxwell shrugged.

"I dunno. We see a movie or something?" He answered, buttoning his purple vest.

"You seem really calm today boss. Figured you would be pretty stoked right now." Said Shaundi. Peirce nodded.

"I am. Sorry I'm not living up to your expectations." Maxwell replied smartly.

"Nah, Boss. It's cool, we just-" Peirce was cut off by Kinzie coming from the bathroom, pulling her fingerless gloves over her hands.

Peirce and Shaundi stared at Kinzie a moment, then at Maxwell.

"Uh, Boss. Is something-" Shaundi began.

"Everything's just fine, Shaundi. Now let's go get some food." Said Maxwell, putting his knee length over coat on then walking towards the elevator. Kinzie gave Shaundi and Peirce a nervous smile, then followed Maxwell. The lieutenants shared a look of disbelief but soon followed after.

* * *

><p>The two Saints spent most of their breakfast meal passing strange looks amongst themselves as well as Kinzie, who was pecking apart her food as usual, and Maxwell who was devouring his.<p>

"So I figured we'll need a chopper." Said Maxwell with a mouth full of burger.

Peirce was brought back to reality by his boss's unexpected statement.

"A chopper?"

"Two, to be precise. We are gonna be flown in then out."

"Any particular reason why?" Shaundi asked.

Maxwell raised his brow.

"Do I need a reason?"

She took this as an acceptable response and went back to her meal.

"Kinzie, you can work on their computers while we fight the Deckers. Shut everything down. Make it so they'll never be able to use the bloody things again." Said Maxwell.

"Got it." Said Kinzie, looking away from her eggs and toast.

"How many guys are we bringing along?" Asked Shaundi.

"As many as we can get. The place is gonna be packed with the fuckers. I want a lot of fire power." Maxwell replied.

A waitress walked towards their table with a pot of coffee to refill Maxwell's to-go cup. She laid a check on the table before going to serve another customer. Maxwell looked at it then put some bills under a plate. They all got up and headed towards the exit and back to his Bootlegger. They got in then headed to the local Friendly Fire. The ride was mostly quiet until Shaundi finally asked the question that Peirce had been wanting to ask.

"So, what happened with you guys last night?"

Maxwell was caught off guard though he kept his expression in tact. Kinzie only gazed out the window, her arms folded over her chest.

"Not much. We got some target practice in, had a nice chat, then went to bed."

"Boss, is 'chat' a euphemism for-" Peirce began.

"'Chat' is a euphemism for chat, Peirce. It's none of your business any how." Maxwell spoke calmly.

"Just curious, man. We're just talking ya' know. As friends." Peirce tried to recover.

"Yeah, we're happy for ya'll." Shaundi chimed in.

"Well we're here, so I guess we'll have to talk later." Said Maxwell, pulling into a spot near the gun store. They got out and headed inside to restock their ammo and firearm supply. It was 4 hours till the party.

* * *

><p>Peirce and Shaundi spent their time driving around Steelport looking for Saints to help. Kinzie stayed at HQ to keep a monitor on the Deckers whereabouts and conversations. Maxwell sat next to her on his couch, watching the newest episode of <em>'Bobby and Amber'<em>.

"Aren't you the one who usually does the dirty work?"

Maxwell let out a sigh, he eyes never leaving the screen.

"Yeah."

"Why is that? Usually the Boss sits back and lets his minions work for him."

"I've never been the lazy type."

"Then why are you sitting here now?"

"Cause I missed this episode last week."

This response was too ridiculous for her to not shoot him a strange look.

"What? It's true. This is like the best show ever."

"And people think I'm strange." Kinzie rolled her eyes then went back to typing.

Maxwell's phone began to ring. He picked it up and saw it was Shaundi.

"We're ready, Boss. We're heading there early. Come up stairs."

"On our way."

The time had finally come. Though he wasn't showing it in his usual manner, Maxwell was itching for this fight. He could only think of getting a hold of that little kid. He clicked the television off then stood up.

"Alright, we're heading out."

He began to head towards the elevator. He made sure his Shepards were at his side and that ammo was at the ready. He walked to the kitchen bar and picked up Kinzie's Krukov. After shutting her laptop she got up and followed him.

"For you, my dear." He handed the firearm to her. She took it from him, checking it's safety and ammo. She smiled up at him. He returned it back to her. It was only then that it dawned on him that this may be the last time he saw that smile. What was about to happen may change everything for them. The sudden realization made his smile fade. Kinzie noticed this change.

"What's wrong?"

He hesitated a moment.

"It's...it's just...well...we're going in to a huge fire fight. I didn't really think of it till now but, well-"

"One of us may die." She spoke bluntly.

"Eh, well...yeah...I guess."

"We could both die." She added.

"That's a bit pessimistic."

She smiled at him then stepped closer, resting a hand on his chest for support, and pressed her lips to his. He closed his eyes and kissed her back. When she broke the kiss she stared into his eyes.

"We'll make it, Boss."

He smiled back at her.

"Alright. Let's get going."

They both headed back towards the elevator. Maxwell's confidence, which had wavered only slightly, was now going strong once more. They rode up in the elevator then got out and into a helicopter than was waiting for them. Peirce and Shaundi stood in front of a small army of Saints.

"You ready, Boss?" Peirce yelled over the chopper's whooshing blades.

Maxwell smiled at him and the rest of the Saints. He raised one of his fists in the air, the Saints responding by raising their various types of weaponry.

"Let's get this shit started, Saints!"

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10-End<strong>


	11. Binary Prt2

**Chapter 11**

**-Binary Prt.2-**

After boarding the helicopter, the Saints headed towards Salander to launch their attack on the Decker's. Peirce and a male Saint operated the chopper while the others got ready. Maxwell sat in the back with Kinzie and 3 other Saints. The group of them bent over an illustrated map of Binary and the surrounding area.

"Shaundi is tailing us in the second chopper. She has a few guys on board. Now, between us we've got about 16 people.  
>That's nice, but it's not gonna be enough." Maxwell explained to his followers.<p>

"Have we got any word from Oleg yet?" He called over to Peirce.

"Yeah, Boss. He's riding there with Zimos and Viola. They've got a few Saints with them too."

"That's good. Alright, here's the plan. Our team, Chopper 1, will head in first. You three." He pointed towards two men and one woman.

"I want you to guard Kinzie while she makes her way to their main control room that's located here." He pointed to a small section that appeared to be on the second floor.

"Do whatever you can to keep her safe." He spoke sternly. The Saints nodded back to him.

Maxwell turned his attention to Kinzie who sat on his left.

"Kinzie, as I told you before, I want you to completely fuck their shit up. Do whatever crazy shit you do to fuck up a computer, got it?"

"Yes." She replied seriously.

Maxwell smiled.

"Okay. While you all are taking care of that, Chopper two, that is Peirce, Shaundi, myself and a few other Saints, will be in charge of doing the major cleaning. We'll take out anyone that gets in or way. I don't want any of these fuckers leaving alive, are we clear?"

The three Saints nodded and gave him each their own "Yes sir." Kinzie nodded as well.

"Okay, Boss. We're almost there." The Saint at controls called back to Maxwell.

"You heard the man. Get everything ready." Said Maxwell to the members. He touched his ear to turn on his receiver.

"Boss?" Shaundi spoke.

"We'll be landing soon. Get ready."

"Right."

The sun was setting now, the cabin of the aircraft was getting darker and darker inside. Maxwell let his hand fall over Kinzie's, grasping it tightly as they made their landing. He looked towards her, her face only just visible by the sliver of sunlight that remained in the sky.

"You ready, love?"

She smiled softly at him.

"Yes."

"Chopper two, come in. Preparing for landing. Over." The Saint at controls said into his receiver.

"This is Chopper Two. Hearing you loud and clear. About to land." Shaundi's voice came in through static.

The purple helicopter began it's decent on to the ground a few feet from the hidden club known as Binary. Deckers keeping guard on the roof caught sight of the Saints right away. One man in black and blue raised a hand to his ear.

"They're here." He spoke calmly. The voice on the other side gave an order. The Decker removed his hand from his ear and raised it in the air, prompting 4 other Deckers to raise their RPG launchers to lock onto the purple choppers. Maxwell just had enough time to look out a side window before the first missile launched.

"Shit!" He cried. The Saints in the cabin held on tight as Peirce and the other man maneuvered out of the way of the shot.

"Land! Land now!" Maxwell yelled to Peirce.

Peirce followed orders and began to bring the chopper back to Earth quickly. Shaundi's chopper followed after, narrowly avoiding the rain of missiles. Once on ground, the Saints poured out of both choppers. They formed a small circle.

"Remember your jobs! Now let's move it!" Maxwell cried out as the teams disbanded. Maxwell noticed that the Deckers on the roof had ceased fire. He looked up and saw they were gone. He cursed under his breath then ran into the building followed by his lieutenants and the other Saints.

"The party is being held under ground were the actual club is." Shaundi informed the others as they began to run down the steps, their guns at the ready. Kinzie was making her way upstairs with her escorts.

Maxwell couldn't help but be distracted by her departure. His thoughts were interrupted by the ring of his phone. He answered it without stopping.

"Decker's attacked us before we got there. We'll try to loose them and be there soon." Oleg's voice came over the line.

"Shit. Okay, well just be careful. We'll get started over here." He hung up then put his phone away. They were down their third flight of stairs already.

"Christ, how far down is it?" He yelled to Shaundi.

"One more flight." She called back.

"Oleg and the others were caught by some Deckers on the way here. I don't know when they'll get here." He updated the group.

"Well that's just great." Shaundi replied. They were just about to their destination.

"Aw, don't be so cynical, Shaundi. I'm sure we'll be-" Maxwell was cut off by the sight that met his eyes when one of the Saints leading them opened the double doors that was the entrance to Binary. In front of their small 10-person team stood an army of men and women in suits of black and neon blue, their guns drawn and pointing towards them.

"Fine?" He finished.

"Fuck." Peirce cursed. As if taking his slur as a que, the Deckers began their assault on the Saints. One man in purple who carried an RPG with him fired into the crowd, taking down many of the opposing team. This huge hole he created gave the Saints a chance to run into the club. Dubstep music blared from all angles, the walls were gray with neon blue and pink lighting here and there. On the roof were moving lights of various colors. It was like walking into a light show, Maxwell noticed before returning fire back at the attackers.

"This place looks crazy!" Peirce cried over gun fire.

"What else did you expect from these chavs?" Maxwell replied, firing at a Rollerblading Decker who moved quickly around the dance floor.

The group of Deckers was slowly diminishing as the Saints continued to fire. Ducking behind a bar, Maxwell avoided another set of shots. He took this opportunity to check on Kinzie.

"Kinzie, you okay?" He spoke into his ear piece.

"Just got to the main controls. Hacking in them now."

"Is anyone hurt?"

"Just the guys in blue."

Maxwell smiled at the relief of her words.

"How about your team?"

"Some stalling with Oleg and the others, but that should rectify itself."

"And you?"

A Decker came around the table and was met by a single shot in the head by Maxwell's pistol.

"I'm just fine, love. Talk to you soon."

He rolled to his feet to fire at the rest of the group. One they were down he ran over to Shaundi and Peirce who had a group of their own to battle.

"Boss! You gotta find Matt! We heard he's another flight down!" Shaundi called as she fired.

"Right. Keep yourselves safe while I'm gone!" Maxwell called while running back to the stairwell they had come down earlier. He took to the steps, jumping down them two at a time. He wasn't going to let him get away. Not again.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Kinzie sat upstairs guarded by the three Saints as she continued her work with destroying the Decker's files.<p>

"Okay, I don't think they'll be anymore for now." The female Saint said.

"Keep an eye open. I'll be done soon. I just need to-" Kinzie was stopped short by a strange file that caught her attention. It was titled simply,

_To the Saints, with love..._

Her brows came together and she clicked the link, opening a video player. Her eyes widened and her hand gripped the mouse tightly when she saw who the star of this movie was.

"G'day, Saints! I see you stumbled upon my little shin-dig. A pity I couldn't join you!" Miller's voice called tauntingly. His image filled a gigantic screen above where Peirce and Shaundi stood fighting. Smaller computer screens and televisions all showed his face like some kind of fun house mirror room. Their jaws hung in shock at the sight of his face.

"I have a gift for you all though, a...party favor of sorts. I hope you enjoy it. It's on it's way..._riiiight_...about...NOW!"

The screen shut off on both the smaller and one massive screen.

"The fuck was that?" A Saint said over Kinzie's shoulder.

"It was a trap. Dammit!" She yelled, pushing her chair from the computer to get up, running towards the door. Her guards followed behind.

* * *

><p>"Waiting on your orders sir." A STAG officer stood behind his leader. Behind him was a convoy of tanks and other military vehicles. Various heavily armored men stood, their guns ready to fire.<p>

"Move in, gentlemen." Cyrus replied. "And leave no one alive."

* * *

><p>Maxwell reached the bottom floor and kicked open another set of double doors. Inside the room was nothing but an old water heater and some crates.<p>

"What the fuck!" He cried. He felt a buzz in his ear despite his rage.

"Max! It was a trap! We need to leave right now!" Yelled Kinzie.

"Miller's not here! What is-"

"No he's not. But they are!" She cried over the transmitter.

"Who the hell is then?" He cried in a mixture of burning anger and confusion. What she replied with made his mouth go dry and his stomach drop.

"STAG is here!"

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 11-End<strong>


	12. Joined Forces

**Chapter 12**

**-Joined Forces-**

Maxwell could only stare into space for a moment, allowing Kinzie's news to completely sink into his mind. Eventually he snapped out of his stupor when she finally spoke up.

"Max? Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Where are you?"

"I just left the first room. There's one more that I need to hit."

"Alright. Get there as fast as you can. Don't leave for anything unless I tell you, alright?"

"Okay."

He opened his phone and tried Oleg's number. It went to voice-mail after several rings. He cursed under his breath then tried Viola. She answered after just two rings.

"Boss?" Viola yelled over gunfire.

"Change of plans. Get a chopper over here as soon as possible. We're aborting."

"What?" Gunfire rang out again, Maxwell held the phone a distance away from his ear to avoid the static.

"Why are we leaving? What happened?" She asked once she had a moment of silence.

"STAG is here." Maxwell replied.

"Jesus Christ." Viola cursed.

"Yeah, so you and Oleg need to get moving. We'll meet you on the roof of Binary."

"Be there soon as possible." Viola promised.

Maxwell put his phone away then began his trek back upstairs, going back up as fast as he had come down, though fueled more by urgency now than by vengeance. Keeping his quick pace, he reached the floor where Shaundi, Peirce and the others stood. No more Deckers remained but Maxwell saw two Saints on the ground dead, their bodies showing red circular marks where bullets entered them. Shaundi and Peirce turned to their leader.

"Boss? Did you get Matt?" Asked Peirce.

"He was never here." Maxwell growled. The eyes of both lieutenants and remaining Saints widened.

"What? Are you for real?" Peirce asked, shocked.

"Yeah."

"Fuck, man." Peirce cursed. Shaundi showed her anger as well.

"Well, look. We've got to get out of here. Start heading towards the roof."

"Why?" Shaundi asked.

"STAG is here."

"You're shitting me, Boss." Said Peirce.

"'Fraid not. It'll be fine as long as we all group together and head to the roof. Viola and Oleg will be here soon with a helicopter."

"Let's get moving then." Shaundi sighed, stowing her gun over her back. Peirce and the other Saints followed as they headed towards the stairway.

* * *

><p>Once upstairs, the group met with Kinzie and her 3 guards. Kinzie sat in front of an array of computer monitors, typing quickly on multiple keyboards.<p>

"What's the progress Kinzie?" Maxwell called outside the open door, his deep voice giving all four of them a start. Kinzie turned quickly, her eyes resting on Maxwell's face. Relief played out over her features.

"Boss? You guys are okay." She almost breathed the words. Maxwell came behind her, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"We're fine, love. How much longer?" He asked.

"Um, probably 15 minutes? How are we getting out of here? I hacked the security cameras of this place and it looks like STAG is surrounding the building."

"By chopper. We need to head to the roof so finish up."

"Got it." Said Kinzie, turning back to the screens and putting her hands back to the keyboards. Maxwell turned to the three who where guarding Kinzie.

"You all did very good, but we're not done. Go guard the door while she finishes up."

"Got it." Said one man. The three turned to leave. Maxwell went back to watching Kinzie.

"Is there anyway to make this go a little faster?" Said Shaundi, irritation covered her words.

"Shaundi relax. This needs to get done." Maxwell replied. Shaundi only let out a frustrated sigh then sat in a nearby office chair. Peirce leaned against a wall, still holding his semi automatic, the other Saints stood next to him. Things had become very quiet except for the constant tacking of Kinzie's fingers on the keyboards. Maxwell didn't like this silence. He turned without saying anything and went to join the Saints keeping watch. He looked towards one male Saint. The man looked back at his leader with a default expression that was soon replaced by one of fear. His mouth opened to say something but a orange laser pierced him between his eyes before he could speak. Maxwell jumped back in the room, drawing his gun.

"Shit, they're here!" He yelled to the others. Shaundi quickly jumped from her seat, readying her gun, Peirce got in front of the door. The two Saints outside fired into the darkness where the single shot had come from. Maxwell ran back out of the room and joined them, along with Shaundi, Peirce and the other Saints. More lasers fired at them from the darkness, the shots getting closer as the STAG soldiers crept up the stairs and into view. The Saints fired at the STAG members, taking them down quickly. Once having a break in the fire, Maxwell dashed back to Kinzie.

"C'mon we gotta go!" He shouted to her.

"It's finished!" She exclaimed back, getting up from her chair. Maxwell took her hand and lead her out of the room.

"Let's get moving!" He cried to the others. They grouped together then made their way up the stairs, taking the steps as fast as possible. Maxwell felt his phone vibrate and took it from his pocket using the hand that wasn't wrapped around Kinzie's.

"Boss! We just got here but we're getting fired at!" Yelled Oleg.

"You've got great timing, Oleg. We're on our way." Maxwell said then put his phone away again.

"Oleg and Viola are here!" Maxwell told the others as they kept running.

"Good job, big man!" Peirce yelled back.

Another laser whizzed through the group. Shaundi, closer to the back, turned and fired, Peirce soon contributed as well. Even more STAG emerged beneath them, the white of their uniform armor glinting in the moonlight that shone through the stairwell windows was the only thing visible. The men followed them to the roof top of Binary. The blades of the chopper whipped the air loudly, Oleg sat at controls as Viola fired at the STAG following Maxwell's group.

"Get in! Hurry!" Viola cried at them. Maxwell picked up his pace, nearly dragging Kinzie at this point. He reached the chopper and helped Kinzie in. She was followed by the other Saints then Shaundi and Peirce. Maxwell fired one more time into the small group of soldiers then jumped into the chopper. The STAG fired at them angrily, some with their laser guns, the men in the tanks on the ground fired missiles, each narrowly missing the Saints' chopper. After a few moments, they had gotten a safe distance away from the attack and headed towards HQ.

"You two got here just in time." Shaundi yelled over the chopper blades to Oleg and Viola.

"Yeah. Great job, you two." Maxwell agreed.

Viola turned to them.

"We've got some bad news Boss." She said, her voice grim.

"Worse than a fucking army coming and trying to blow our heads off?"

"Well, yeah."

Maxwell let out a sigh.

"What is it then?"

Viola passed an unsure glance at Oleg who replied only with a single nod. She then turned back to look at Maxwell.

"Matt Miller has left Steelport again."

* * *

><p>The Saints sat in the living room of the HQ penthouse. Maxwell had his fingers laced together, his chin resting on his hands. It happened again. For a second time Miller had evaded him. He was finding this news very hard to take.<p>

"And we are sure we have no idea where he is?" Maxwell repeated a third time.

"He's vanished." Viola said with a sigh.

Maxwell's eyes narrowed in quiet anger. Kinzie, who sat next to him, reached her hand over and placed it gently on his forearm.

"Boss. Maybe I can dig something up. You know he's never far from a computer." Kinzie said, offering some encouragement.

Maxwell nodded his head then said, "Yeah...yeah...you can do that."

"That's not everything." Viola spoke. Maxwell moved his eyes from the floor to Viola's face.

"What else is there?" Maxwell asked, his irritation elevating even more.

"We're pretty sure he was the one who called STAG. We're also thinking that Cyrus gave him a temporary deal for his info."

"That little rat." Maxwell gritted through his teeth.

"We'll try to get more information right away." Said Oleg who stood at the bar with Peirce.

Maxwell sighed, closing his eyes. He straightened up after a moment and got to his feet. He looked over his crew.

"Alright. I'm going to get some rest. You guys get out of here and get some yourselves. We're gonna hit it hard tomorrow."

The Saints agreed with him and gave him each of their own goodbyes. Before long it was only himself and Kinzie. She sat on the couch looking up at him, worry darkened her face.

"Get some rest, Max. I'll start searching for him tonight."

"No. You need to sleep too. Come on." He walked over to the bar, poured himself a shot then tossed it back. He winced slightly as the liquor went down. Kinzie followed him as he went upstairs.

"It's not your fault, Max. You know that right? No one knew he was going to-" Kinzie began. She was cut off when he turned to look at her.

"I should have known. The bastard is a coward. I should have known he'd never stick around for a full fight." He continued up the stairs and turned into his bedroom. Kinzie couldn't help but feel a slight sting at his raised voice.

"Even if that's the case, you'd still have no idea where he went. We don't even know where he went last time he ran off."

"Yeah, the _other_ time I let him get away. Shoulda' killed the brat when I had the chance." Maxwell sat on his bed then began untying his boots, kicking them off towards his dresser.

"Please, don't be so hard on yourself." Kinzie nearly whispered. She was beginning to see that he wasn't going to be calmed.

"I'm just gonna get some rest, love. You do what you want." Maxwell said, now working on removing his vest.

Kinzie felt defeated. She kept her silence and went to taking off her FBI sweater. Maxwell looked over his shoulder at her. Why was he taking this out on her? She was doing her best to help him and here he was unleashing his frustrations on her. He got up and walked over to her. Kinzie was now removing her shoes when Maxwell stood over her. She straightened up and faced him, looking up into his eyes. In them she saw the remnants of his anger as well as some new guilt.

"I'm sorry. I just...I really thought we had him." Maxwell spoke quietly. Kinzie smiled at him and brought her hands to either side of his face.

"We'll get him. I promise." She said just as softly, then brought her lips to his. He kissed her back, bringing his arms around her waist. The kiss felt to him like it could have lasted forever and it still wouldn't have been long enough. He moved his lips from hers and brought them first to her right ear, then her neck. Her mouth fell open in a gasp, her fingers tangled in his thick hair. She put her lips to his ear.

"Let's go all the way, Max." She whispered. Maxwell stopped and brought his head up, his eyes meeting hers.

"Kinzie, I still think we should-" He's speech was interrupted by her placing a finger over his lips.

"What's the worst that can happen?" She said, smiling.

"Well, I could turn out to be a pompous dickhead." He replied smartly.

She let out a light chuckle, replacing her finger with her own lips. They kissed each other deeply and slowly, his hands on her hips, pressing her lower body against his. Kinzie lowered her hands from his face then began unbuttoning his shirt.

"Love, we really don't have to do this." Maxwell tried to protest between kisses. Kinzie replied only by sliding his shirt down off his shoulders then on to the floor. Her hands roamed over his chest then down his stomach. She reached his pants, beginning to work on removing his belt. He placed a hand on hers and she stopped.

"Get in the bed." He spoke to her. She turned and did as he requested, laying on her back. Maxwell crawled into bed and over her, resuming their kiss. His hand came to rest on her right breast, squeezing gently through her hoodie. She let out a slight gasp.

"Are you alright?" Maxwell asked.

"F-fine." She stuttered. He noticed her cheeks were a newer crimson he'd never seen on her before. He smiled then caressed her some more. After a moment, he felt brave enough to bring his hand under her shirt, over her bra.

"Let me know if I'm moving too fast." He whispered, his voice growing more rough with his arousal.

"You-You're fine." Was all Kinzie could say. Her head was swimming. Everything felt so good already, she didn't know if she could take anymore.

Maxwell put both his hands under her hoodie then brought it up slightly, first exposing her naval, then her upper abdomen, leaving a trail of soft kisses as he went up. He finally got to her breasts. He pressed his lips to hers as he raised the cloth over them. He looked down at her. Her eyebrows were tight together.

"Still alright?"

"Embarrassed." She nearly squeaked.

Maxwell chuckled then took her breasts in his hands gently, the gesture making Kinzie bite her lower lip.

"You have nothing to be embarrassed of. You're absolutely stunning."

She smiled at him, her face redder than before, if that was even possible.

"Now let's get that sweater off of you. You must be dying from heat in there." He said, kissing her again.

She sat up, allowing him to slide the hoodie over her head. She laid back down and he started to work on the button of her pants.

"You've really never done this before?" Maxwell asked as he caressed her body.

"No more than some making out. Am I doing okay?" she asked. Maxwell chuckled and kissed her forehead.

"10's across the board, love." He went back to her lips once more, her pants finally undone, he let a hand slide down them. Kinzie's body shivered and she gasped again.

"Alright?" Maxwell asked, this jump making him worry more than the others.

"F-fine. I'm fine." She stuttered once more, her face held a nervous smile.

He stared into her eyes for a moment and she looked back into his.

"Are you sure about this?" Maxwell asked a final time, his face now completely serious. She swallowed then gave him a genuine smile.

"Absolutely."

Maxwell kissed her again. This wasn't his original idea. Not in the very least. There was much to be done the next day and it was already past 1 AM. No, this wasn't his original plan, but he had to admit. It was a hell of a better one.

* * *

><p>Kinzie awoke early the next morning to a strange sound. Upon opening her eyes, the feeling of reality came back to her. She was suddenly aware of Maxwell's body pressed against her, how warm his skin felt against hers. The morning sun's rays coming in through the glass wall of the building. She then realized what the sound was. It was Maxwell, he was humming a song she'd never heard before, his eyes were closed, his head resting on his right hand. Though his voice was naturally very deep and rough, the melody of his song sounded nice to her.<p>

"Max?" Kinzie whispered. His eyes opened and met hers.

"Morning." He greeted her.

"What was that?" She asked.

"Hmm? Oh, nothing. Just a little thing from way back when." He replied, closing his eyes again.

"How long have you been up?"

"A couple minutes. How are you feeling?"

She stretched a bit then turned towards him, pressing herself against his chest. A warm smile spread across her face.

"I feel great."

He smiled down at her, taking her in his arms, holding her small body against his.

"That's good."

Kinzie looked down at the arm over her body. She remembered his single tattoo. Curiosity filled her mind. She looked back up to Maxwell, who seemed to be dozing off again.

"So when did you get that tattoo? And why don't you have others? Most gang members have gang affiliated tattoos." She spoke quickly.

"What is it about mornings that make you so talkative?" Maxwell groaned.

"I'm curious, Max. What's the story?"

Maxwell opened his eyes, looking at her with exaggerated disbelief.

"Wait. There's something you don't know about me?"

Kinzie laughed and pushed at his chest. Maxwell shared shared the laugh.

"Yeah, I guess so. So let's hear it."

Maxwell let out another groan.

"It's really embarrassing." He said, rolling onto his back. Kinzie stayed close to him, placing her head on his chest.

"I'm all for embarrassing." She smiled.

Maxwell let out a sigh. He raised his forearm to show her that tattoo, two black serpents wrapped over his flesh.

"I never got any other tattoos because, well..." He stalled, looking at the wall.

"Hmm?" Kinzie pressed against him.

"I'm...I have a fear of needles." He spoke quickly, hoping she wouldn't hear him. She stared at him a moment, her eyes wide, her mouth open in a smile.

"Really?"

"Yeah, really." He grunted, rolling away from her to face the wall. She stayed with him once more, pressed against his back.

"That's okay, Max. It's just a little weird."

"Yeah yeah."

"I mean, you're this really scary guy. People everywhere fear you and you're afraid of a needle?"

Maxwell grabbed a handful of sheets and put them over his head, an attempt to shield himself from Kinzie's mockery.

"I got it one night after getting drunk with Peirce and Shaundi. They dared me and I went and did it. It was horrible."

Kinzie couldn't contain her laughter anymore.

"I'm so happy my pain is such a gas to you." Maxwell grunted under the covers.

"Aw, Max. It's funny but I don't love you any less." She rubbed his back. He let the sheets fall just a bit, his green eyes peering at her.

"I've never told anyone that before." He nearly whispered.

"Thank you for telling me." She smiled at him. He looked at her a moment then pulled the sheets off him, sitting up.

"Alright, show and tell is over. We've got work to do."

"Yeah. I'm gonna take a quick shower." Said Kinzie, getting up from the bed. They shared a quick kiss before she went into the bathroom. He stood up stretching. He felt exhausted but the memory of the night before was still fresh in his mind. Being with her was like nothing he had done or felt before. It was impossible to erase the thought of it but there was work to do. As much as he'd love to, he couldn't just lay here with her all day. So, ignoring his mind's own protests be began to put together some clothes to wear. As he was about to put them on his phone rang. He looked at the caller ID and saw that it was a restricted number. Maxwell raised an eyebrow, answering the call.

"Hello?" He answered cautiously.

"Boss. It's me." A deep voice spoke.

The voice wasn't familiar at first, but after only a moment he realized who it was. His eyes widened and he sat on the edge of his bed.

"Angel? Is that you?" Maxwell asked.

"Yeah. I can't talk long but I have some information that you need to hear."

"Go ahead, mate." Said Maxwell, still taken aback by this sudden call.

"I've been following Killbane. He's still alive."

"That just means I get to kill him myself."

"Wait. That's not all. I've recently found out he has reestablished his partnership with Miller."

Maxwell gripped his phone tightly, his jaw clenched.

"They've teamed up again?" He gritted his teeth.

"Yeah. The whole Syndicate is going again. They're getting a plan ready then they're going to come here and attack the Saints. We'll be completely outnumbered."

Maxwell was quiet a moment, his head was starting to pound with anger. Angel spoke up after a while.

"I'll be heading back to Steelport next week after I get more information."

A crooked smile played over Maxwell's face.

"You do that, mate. We'll be here waiting for you. Thanks for the tip."

"No problem. See you all soon."

Maxwell hung up his phone and placed it back on his end table. He sat in silence for a few minutes, staring into space. He had to think of something. and think fast. He had three forces attacking the Saints now. They were really in deep now. He racked his brain for a solution but kept coming up with a blank. His thoughts were soon interrupted by Kinzie coming from the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her body. She noticed right way something was wrong.

"Maxwell? What's the matter?"

He didn't reply right way. She walked around the bed to sit next to him. He looked at her.

"Angel's coming back."

"Well that's good. What happened with Kill-" Maxwell cut her off.

"Killbane is with Matt Miller again. Their rebuilding the Syndicate together. They're coming after us.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12-End<strong>


	13. Gifts

**Chapter 13**

**-Gifts-**

Maxwell awoke the next morning and called his fellow Saints together once again. They gathered around the living room in a mirror image of the night before. Maxwell stood before them, Kinzie sat near him on the sofa, her computer open on her lap. Maxwell took a breath before speaking to his comrades.

"Everyone. I've got some news." He spoke finally to the room of Saints. A small murmur crawled over the crowd. Peirce spoke over it.

"What is it, Boss?" He asked.

"I got a call from Angel last night-" He began. Instantly the quiet whispers increased their volume, multiple questions flew at him from all angles.

"He's still alive?" Shaundi asked, shocked.

"Yes, he's fine. Apparently, he's been keeping an eye on Killbane this whole time. I don't know where he is yet."

"Why didn't he tell us? We could have sent some guys to help-"

"Because that's just how Angel is." Maxwell interrupted Peirce. He continued, " Anyway, there's still more to tell you all."

The room became silent once more as they allowed Maxwell to share his information. He paused a moment, rubbing the palms of his hands together. He cleared his throat.

"Killbane and Matt Miller are working together to bring the Syndicate back. He also said they'll be heading here soon."

Another ruckus of conversation rumbled through the Saints, though this one was louder and obviously more angrier.

"Are you for real?" Peirce blurted.

"How the hell are we gonna stop them? Especially now that STAG is back on our ass?" Shaundi shouted over the near roar of the crowd.

"People, people. Settle down. Quiet!" Maxwell's voice rang over them, making them die down some. They turned back to face him as he began to speak again.

"Angel is going to be heading back to Steelport in a week. Once here, he'll help us figure a way to take them down. And this time, they'll stay down. I promise all of you that."

"What do we do till then?", A male Saint in the back called.

"It's gonna sound crazy, but I suggest we lay low till Angel gets here."

Instead of breaking into another chorus of rabble, the Saints only stared at their leader in silence.

"Lay low?" Peirce repeated, looking at Maxwell as if he was insane.

"Since when do we do that?" Asked Shaundi, folding her arms over her chest.

"Since now. We're playing this one safe."

The Saints began to fire questions at him again. Some about the current plan, some involving Angel's location. Maxwell's attention turned to his ringing phone. He saw it was Angel calling again.

"One moment, folks." He said, raising a finger to his raving audience. He headed toward the outside deck, Kinzie's eyes, as well as most of the group's,  
>followed him there. Once outside he answered the call.<p>

"Angel?"

"It looks like Killbane is gonna be heading back to Steelport sooner than I thought." Angel's voice spoke.

"How much sooner?" Maxwell asked.

"Three days. Tops." Angel answered. He continued before Maxwell could speak.

"I'll be there in two."

"You can't get here earlier?"

"No. Two days will be fine. They aren't ready for an attack yet, not nearly from the looks of things. We'll have time."

Maxwell pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes tightly. When he opened them, he noticed Oleg walking towards him alone.

"Alright. We'll speak more later. Keep me informed."

"I will."

Maxwell ended the call then put his phone away in the pocket of his pants. He leaned against the wall separating the pool from the deck. He looked up at Oleg who was standing over him.

"That was Angel?" Oleg spoke, more a statement than a question.

"Yeah. Killbane and Miller are gonna be here in three days."

Oleg rubbed his over-sized chin with his fingers, a wondering look on his face.

"Angel is coming as well?" He asked after a moment.

"In two days it looks like."

"Hmm..."

The two men sat in silence for a moment. Oleg still scratching his face absentmindedly, Maxwell with his hands in his pockets. The silence was finally broken by Oleg.

"So Kinzie and yourself are official?" He spoke again. Maxwell, who was taken off gaurd by this sudden change of subject, couldn't help but notice that Oleg's questions didn't sound like questions at all. Much more accusatory.  
>He ran a hand through his hair, a small smile played over his face. He couldn't help but feel a little strange, knowing how Oleg felt about Kinzie.<p>

"Yeah, guess you could say that." He replied.

"I'm not like the others. I am happy for you two. But I have a request." Oleg lowered his hand and looked at Maxwell.

"Hmm...Sure mate?" Maxwell lowered his hand as well, looking up at the giant Russian.

"She's in danger because of Miller. I want you to keep her safe. Protect her with your life." Oleg spoke seriously, his eyes boring into Maxwell's.

Maxwell swallowed again. He wasn't afraid of Oleg, not completely that is, but he respected and knew what this man was capable of. He also couldn't help but feel guilt at all the things that had happened to Kinzie since he'd developed feelings for her. These things seemed to him like his own fault, like he should have been keeping a better eye on her. He wouldn't let anything else happen to her. Not after all they had been through. Not when he loved her as much as he did.

He smiled up at Oleg, holding his hand out him.

"I will." Maxwell spoke. Oleg looked down at his leader's hand a moment then smiled back. He took the smaller hand in his huge one and shook it.

"Stay good to your word, my friend." Said Oleg.

"Absolutely."

* * *

><p>That night Maxwell laid in his bed, propped up by pillows reading a magazine, waiting to talk to Kinzie who was in the shower. He looked up from the page when she walked into the room wearing another one of his shirts as a night time dress. He put the magazine down and sat up, sitting crossed legged, looking at her. She looked back at him curiously.<p>

"What?" She asked drying her hair.

"I want you to move in with me." He spoke bluntly.

"Oh, so I'm _not_ being held hostage here?" She spoke in an enthusiastic sarcastic tone.

"It's for your safety." He ignored her quip.

"I don't know, Max."

"That warehouse is a wreck and we're about to have an all out war on our hands. You'll be safer here."

"How about all my computers?"

"I'll give you your own room for your computer stuff. We don't need this many stripper poles anyhow."

"There's too many people here during the day." She contended again.

"I'll tell them to bugger off." He replied simply.

"I'll be easily tracked here." She brought up yet another argument.

"I don't know anything about that shit, but I'm sure I can fix that too."

She was quiet a moment, searching for another reason as to why his idea was a bad one. She couldn't find one. She sighed and sat on the foot of the bed, her back to him.

"I just want to stay at the docks." She sighed, looking down at her hands. Maxwell stared at her a moment. He knew she would continue to fight him with this. He thought a moment to himself. He was forcing her to stay here he realized. No she didn't fight it much but he didn't really expect her to. There was no arguing with him. That was how it was with nearly everyone. Maybe she wouldn't live here, but perhaps somewhere else? Somewhere he could be with her to keep her safe, somewhere the Syndicate was unaware of. And maybe even a place that couldn't be located with a computer if that made her less worried. He smiled as the idea struck him. It was time to stop fighting and just solve the issue. He crawled towards her, sitting behind her, his arms wrapped around her, his face in the crook of her neck.

"Okay, we'll talk about this later. You win...for now."

She sighed again, turning her head to face him.

"Thanks." She whispered, smiling. He smiled back, kissing the tip of her nose.

"Don't thank me yet. Now, c'mon. Let's get some rest."

* * *

><p>Kinzie awoke the next morning when she felt his side of the bed and found nothing. She opened her eyes and sat up. She searched the room for him then stood up.<p>

"Maxwell?" She called, her voice echoed off the high ceiling. There was no reply. She furrowed her brow then headed downstairs. She called his name once more to the silence. No one was there. She thought that it was strange that he would just leave. Maybe something came up? What if Angel was here already for some reason? Her thoughts were interrupted by a long growl from her stomach. She put her curiosity and worry to the side and headed into the kitchen to make some toast. She walked back into the living room with her plate and sat down on the couch, opening her laptop, placing it on a coffee table in front of her. She tore a piece of toast off and put it in her mouth. She looked at her screen and noticed a note left to her from Maxwell stuck to her keyboard. She read his note, chewing slowly.

_"Kinz,_

_ Headed out to pick you up a little 'gift'._

_ I'll be back in the afternoon to show it to you._

_ Peirce will be by in the morning with Shaundi to take you out to breakfast._

_Be nice to them, please?_

_See you soon, love._

_-Maxwell."_

Kinzie looked down at her small breakfast, just two pieces of toast. She shrugged and continued eating, folding up the note as she chewed. She heard the elevator as Peirce and Shaundi arrived. They walked over towards her, both lieutenants looking uneasy and unhappy to be assigned this job.

"Hey guys." Kinzie spoke, eyes still on her screen.

"We are gonna get some breakfast. I know you're not one for the whole 'eating' thing but-" Shaundi began but was cut off by Kinzie shutting her laptop and standing up with her empty plate.

"Sure, let me just get ready."

Shaundi passed an unsure glance to Peirce who only shrugged. Kinzie went upstairs quickly to get dressed.

"Just a minute guys!" She called over the railing at them.

They both answered with polite waves.

"What's up with her?" Shaundi whispered once Kinzie disappeared.

"Well, she's getting laid now, that usually perks a person up." He replied.

They sat down on the sofa. Shaundi sighed, irritated.

"I can't believe Boss is doing this. We should be getting ready for the Syndicate's return."

"Calm down, girl. There's not really much we can do. I'm sure once Angel's back we'll get the ball rollin' again."

Shaundi replied with only with another angry sigh. They both looked up when Kinzie reappeared wearing her usual blue jeans and jacket. She walked over to them, grabbing her laptop.

"Alright, let's go."

* * *

><p>The three of them sat at a booth, awaiting their breakfast, a silence rested awkwardly over them. Kinzie typed away on her laptop. She looked around the screen to Peirce.<p>

"So what is he getting me?" She asked.

"I don't know." Peirce replied truthfully.

"I'll find out. He never did throw out his phone like I told him."

Shaundi looked at her.

"You want to ruin the surprise like that?"

Kinzie looked up at Shaundi.

"I hate surprises."

"Oookay."

"You're not going to try and stop me?" Kinzie asked.

"He didn't say anything about you finding out. Only asked us to take you to breakfast. He also wanted us to make sure you actually ate this time." Peirce answered.

Kinzie rolled her eyes then went back to her hacking. The food arrived then, Peirce and Shaundi began to eat, Kinzie opened a pack of crackers that came with her soup, broke it apart, then ate a small piece.  
>Shaundi and Peirce stared at her a moment. Peirce leaned towards Shaundi.<p>

"She eats like a squirrel." He whispered.

"Shut up Peirce." Shaundi replied. She then directed her attention to Kinzie, putting on her best fake smile.

"So, how have you been, Kinzie? Anything new going on in the hacking world?" Shaundi asked with false interest.

"Peirce wants to have sex with you." Kinzie replied bluntly, her eyes still on her screen. Shaundi's mouth fell open, Peirce dropped his fork.

"What? Peirce!" Shaundi shouted, glaring at Peirce. Other customers of the diner turned to stare at the Saints.

"What? Naw, she's lying!" Peirce defended.

"No. No, you definitely want to have sex with Shaundi. You wanna do a lot of things with her."

"Peirce, what the fuck?" Shaundi cursed.

"Why you so mad? Everybody wanna fuck you! You got a fucking show dedicated to it!"

"Yeah, but they actually say it! They don't fucking hide it and pretend to hate me like you!" Shaundi spat.

"Girl, I don't hate you. I just hate it when you steal my thunder!"

"I totally don't do that anymore!"

Kinzie watched their banter for a few moments. A small smile fell on her face as she broke apart another cracker.

* * *

><p>The ride back to HQ was quiet but the tension was still thick between Shaundi and Peirce. Kinzie sat in the backseat, no longer tracking Maxwell's movements. She had already found him at a gas station then at an apartment building. She wondered what in the world he would have been doing there. Shaundi sat in the passenger seat, her legs crossed as well as her arms, the very image of angry body language. Peirce gripped the steering wheel, his brows drawn together. His expression lightened when he saw Maxwell's Bootlegger parked in the underground parking lot of the Saints HQ. He pulled into the spot next to it then turned off the car.<p>

"Thank God." Shaundi gasped.

The three headed upstairs together. When the got there they found Maxwell sitting on his couch watching television. He looked over his shoulder and smiled.

"How was breakfast?" He asked.

"Oh it was just great. Did you know your girlfriend spies on people for fun?" Shaundi asked, her voice heavily sarcastic.

"Hmm, yeah. I can't say I didn't."

"Well she's still spying on us! You don't think that's a bit fucked up?" Shaundi shouted, her temper rising.

"It's just for protection Shaundi." Kinzie spoke quietly, walking past her and Peirce to sit on the couch next to Maxwell.

"Yeah, Shaundi, cool it. She does it with everyone." Maxwell said, turning back to the television.

"So that makes it excusable!" Shaundi was filled with rage now. Peirce kept quiet, fearing just the sound of his voice would make Shaundi explode.

"We can talk about it later, okay? Go get some rest. We've got a big week ahead of us."

"Whatever." Shaundi turned on her heel, walking quickly towards the elevator.

Maxwell looked at Peirce.

"Thanks for helping Peirce. Sorry about the trouble."

"It's okay man."

"Try not to get killed on the way home, mate." Maxwell called as Peirce got in the elevator.

"See ya, Boss." He replied before the doors closed, his face mimicked that of a person who was about to be put to death.

Maxwell turned to Kinzie who was pushing off her shoes. He turned off the t.v. and got to his feet.

"Not so fast, love. I've got to take you to your gift."

"Why did you go to an apartment complex?" She asked, closing her laptop once more.

Maxwell sighed.

"Shit, I forgot you could track my phone."

"Told you those things are no good."

"Well, no worries. You don't quite know what it is yet."

He pulled his coat on and grabbed his keys, she followed behind him.

* * *

><p>They stood in the elevator of the apartment building, heading towards the 7th floor. Maxwell stood behind her, his hands over her eyes. She stood with her arms cross over her chest.<p>

"I think this is very unnecessary, Max."

"Just humor me for the tradition of it, love." He whispered in her ear.

"I already know what it is."

"Hmm, yes. And that's why you're not getting any excitement out of this. You ruined it for yourself."

"I hate surprises." She grumbled.

The number 7 lit up and the doors opened. They stepped out, Maxwell leading her.

"Why did you do this? I was perfectly fine at the warehouse."

"Yeah, that's why you got kidnapped twice."

"Once was at the hospital."

"Details, details."

They got to her door and stopped.

"Okay. I'm gonna lower my hands, keep those eyes closed alright?"

Kinzie sighed. "Sure."

He lowered his hands and pulled some keys from the pocket of his coat. He unlocked the door then took her hand.

"Alright, love. Open your eyes."

She stood in front of him inside her new apartment, her eyes now wide open. The layout looked like the HQ, same black, silver and purple color scheme, same ultra modern furniture. The only difference was that this was a studio apartment and not a penthouse. She eyed over the surroundings, her face unsure. Maxwell wrapped his arms around her waist.

"So, how is it?"

"Max, why did you-"

"Because here you'll be safe. And we can be together. No people to bug you during the day, you can have all your computer stuff over there." He pointed towards and empty corner of the room.

"The only thing that's missing is that thing you were talking about earlier about your computer being hidden. And I'm working on that as well."

"I don't know, Max."

"Oh, c'mon, love. It's gonna be great. Your own place, no safety hazards, look, you even have your own bed." He said, pointing now to a large bed in a corner of the room.

"How did you do this so quickly?" She remarked.

"It was originally designed to be a place for me to live. I don't really like the Saints walking in and out all willy nilly either. But I've decided to put both our names on it. You're gonna love it here and best of all you'll be safe. They even allow pets. Think of that, Kinz! We can get a puppy." Maxwell smiled widely down at her. She looked up at him, her hands on his chest.

"I'm not sure about this." She spoke.

"You don't want a puppy? I kinda wanted one, but that's just fine. We can do without."

She let out a small laugh, burying her face in his chest.

"See? It's gonna work."

She looked up at him again.

"Are you sure?"

Maxwell smiled at her then kissed her forehead.

"Absolutely."

Kinzie looked at him a moment, she had never seen him so excited, so...happy. Maybe it was best to go with his idea after all.

"Alright."

Maxwell pulled her tightly against him and kissed her.

"Wonderful. Now let's head back to your warehouse. We'll start getting packed."

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 13-End<strong>


	14. Old Friends

**Chapter 14**

**-Old Friends-**

Maxwell stood in the room Kinzie referred to as her 'inner sanctum', watching her unplug her large array of computers and monitors.  
>He eyed over the walls that were covered in various newspaper clippings as he waited for her to finish. He looked back to her after a moment.<p>

"You know, it feels like just yesterday that we met." He said.

"More accurately it's been around 678 days, but I understand the figure of speech." Kinzie spoke, carefully wrapping up some loose cords and placing them into a box. Maxwell raised an eyebrow.

"You've actually been keeping track?" He asked in awe.

"Sure. Why not?" She replied simply.

He shook his head then sat in a nearby chair. He put his arms behind his head, extending his long legs before him.

"And you're positive I can't be of assistance?" He asked her for the third time.

"Yes. I don't want to risk anything being misplaced. This is very delicate work."

Maxwell rolled his eyes then began rocking back and forth in the chair. He looked up at the ceiling and was surprised to see even more clippings there. He read the various titles of them with a smirk. Aliens, giant rabbits in the ocean, zombies.  
>Things you'd see in a movie. Things that were considered myth or legend by most and were known as all too true to himself. His smile faded when his eyes fell on a picture of Lin. He averted his eyes quickly and cleared his throat. It was too late. He was already thinking about her. Lin wasn't the first woman he loved, but she was unlike the others he had been with. Because of this, she still held on to a piece of his heart, even after her death. He tried to push these grim memories aside before they got carried away. He sat up and turned his attention to Kinzie. He thought of how much he loved and cared for her. How deeply involved they were already. They had flirted since the beginning (or rather, he was overly suggestive with her, she neither returned nor rejected these gestures) but it seemed to him that so much had happened already. He couldn't help but wonder whether or not that was a good thing.<br>If Lin's death effected him in such a hard way, then what would happen if-

"You okay over there?" Kinzie's voice broke though his reverie. He blinked twice, looking at her face.

"Uh, yeah. Just thinking." He said, now sitting straight up, his feet under the chair. Kinzie gave him a suspicious look then turned back to her wires.

"Thinking about what?" She asked, taping a box shut then placing it in a slowly growing pile of other boxes.

Maxwell thought a moment, staring at a random computer monitor. He finally broke his silence by leaning back in the chair, a loud squeak came from the chair with his movement.

"Have you always been this into computers?" He asked, trying his best to brush the dark cloud of thought from his mind. Kinzie was silent a moment, she looked as though she was choosing which wire was which from two she held. She then shrugged and said, "Yeah, pretty much."

"Even when you were a kid?" He marveled.

"Especially when I was a kid. It was all new to me then."

"Hmm..."

"What did you do for fun when you were a kid?" She asked, turning to look at him. He chuckled then said, "Kid stuff I guess. Rode my bike, jumped out of trees." He paused a moment then continued. " I stole my father's car once. That was fun." He reminisced. She looked at him strangely.

"How old were you?" She asked, genuinely curious. Maxwell thought a moment then said, "9? Maybe 10? I dunno." Kinzie let out a laugh.

"Wow, you've been rotten from the start eh?"

"For the most part." He shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm not sure I'd want my son stealing my car." Kinzie snickered, getting to her feet to work on her desk. She turned to him once more.

"I could use your help now." She said. Maxwell jumped to his feet.

"Thank God." He walked towards her. She placed an empty box in front of them on the desk.

"Get all these books and magazines packed up while I get the rest of the wiring taken care of." She said, pointing to a large stack on a computer tower.

"Got it." He reached for a handful of books then began to put them away. He thought back to what she had just said and smiled.

"So you want children, eh?" He asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

"God no." She groaned.

Surprised by her repulsed reaction he continued his questioning.

"Aw, why not? Just imagine it. Some little tyke running rampant in your home."

"Ugh."

"Destroying all your fancy-pantsy computer equipment with his innocent curiosity."

"Oh God, just stop."

"And don't get me started on diaper changing."

"You're not doing much to sway me here, Max."

Maxwell let out a laugh and, though a bit angry at the mention of her computers getting tarnished, Kinzie giggled as well.

"Don't tell me you want kids?" Kinzie joked.

"Well, kinda." Maxwell replied seriously. Kinzie stopped disconnecting a keyboard and looked at him, her face sober of humor.

"Are you serious?" She asked.

"Yeah. Well, it's not like I've always been this way. They used to scare the shit outta me. But, to be honest, I've been thinking about it in a more positive way. You know, someone to pass my legacy on to."

Kinzie stared at him in disbelief.

"Wow. I have to congratulate you, Max. You have finally succeeded in surprising me."

"It's not like I want them now, or at all even. But I have to admit, the idea sometimes sounds quite nice." Maxwell said, defending himself.

"You're something else, Ma-" Kinzie stopped when a group of wires fell off the table. She cursed to herself then bent to pick them up. She was taken off guard by Maxwell when she stood back up. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her tightly against himself. A large smirk held on his face.

"What's wrong love? You don't wanna have a couple babies with me?" He taunted her with the smile that always made her melt. Kinzie grunted and pushed against him. He tightened his grip on her.

"You're absolutely insane." She scolded him.

"Maybe. But you're the real nut here for loving me." Said Maxwell, his smile widening. Kinzie couldn't help but smile back. She stopped trying to get away and instead pulled him closer and into a kiss. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she deepened the kiss, pressing herself against him as much as she could. He lowered himself to whisper in her ear.

"Don't worry, love. I'll convince you one day." He purred. She pulled quickly away from him, slapping him on his shoulder playfully.

"You know how to ruin the moment don't you?"

"I always try my be-" The building suddenly shook, Kinzie stumbled back into Maxwell's arms from the quake.

"What the hell was that?" Kinzie asked, alarmed.

Before he could reply another ripple went through the building with an audible explosion. Maxwell released her from his arms but kept his hand on hers. He looked up at the ceiling as another strike vibrated over them, dust and peices of newspaper fell from above.

"We gotta get out of here." Said Maxwell, pulling out his phone.

"Who do you think it is?" Kinzie gasped.

"We'll find out soon I'm sure." He answered, his phone to his ear.

"Hey, Boss." Shaundi answered his call.

"Shaundi, is anything going on at HQ?" Another hit shook the walls, he steadied Kinzie against himself.

"Nothing, Boss. Why?"

"We're at Kinzie's. We're being attacked. Not sure by who though. Just in case, get some guys together and get ready. We're heading there now."

"Got it."

He hung up then turned to Kinzie who's face was worried.

"What about my computers?"

"You're life is a tad more important to me, love. Let's get moving." He started walking, pulling her by her hand. She tried to stand her ground but his strength won.

"But Max, what if they get damaged? Do you have any idea how many years of research-" She began. Maxwell cut her off by looking at her, his face stern and urgent.

"We're leaving. Now." He spoke slowly, as if doing so would help her understand the situation better. She swallowed, looking defeated but followed his lead. They both ran out of her room and towards the bay where Maxwell's Bootlegger stood. They both got in, Maxwell starting the car. Upon leaving the garage, they were met by an attack by STAG soldiers, lasers zooming past them as Maxwell floored the gas pedal to get away. They drove quickly from the docks then out onto the streets. Kinzie turned to look behind them and saw two STAG N-Forcers coming up fast, their canons firing wildly.

"Maxwell! We're being followed!" Kinzie shouted over the roar of the wind and engine. He looked into his rear view mirror and saw the two behemoths. An idea came to him, and he looked towards Kinzie.

"Take the wheel. I've got something in the back that will help!"

"What?" Kinzie yelled but Maxwell was already reaching into the backseat. Their car began to drift into the other lane. Kinzie quickly jerked the steering wheel back to avoid getting hit, trying her best to steer from the passenger seat. Maxwell looked back at her.

"I've got it. Get in this seat!" He shouted. She crawled over him as he scooted over to the passenger seat. Kinzie, who finally had the wheel in control, passed a quick glance over to Maxwell. He was leaning over his door, an RPG Launcher over his shoulder. Kinzie let out a scream.

"Don't get us killed, Max!" She cried, trying her best to navigate though the suddenly thick traffic. The N-Forcer's barreled through the pedestrian cars without slowing down.

"No promises!" He called back, firing at the large vehicles behind them. His shot connected with one but it kept moving closer. He fired again, sending the tank flying in the air in an explosion of flame and metal.

"One down!" He cheered. He set his sights on the remaining vehicle, readying to fire. As he pulled the trigger Kinzie rounded a turn, making him miss and hit a bus stop. He cursed, glaring at her.

"Watch it!"

"Kinda busy!" She yelled back. He went back to aiming at the N-Forcer. He fired, his shot connecting, another explosion rang out as the tank was destroyed. He looked over the mess of cars, searching for any other enemies. Not seeing any, he turned back in his seat.

"Anyone else?" Kinzie asked.

"Not from the looks of it. I'm sure they'll meet us there though." Maxwell replied, reloading his gun.

* * *

><p>Maxwell's prediction turned out to be true. When they got close to HQ, they noticed a number of tanks, N-Forcers and STAG soldiers shooting at their building. Their attention turned when his Bootlegger was in their view. They fired at them, a few shots hit the car before Kinzie turned and drove to the underground parking lot. More soldiers stood before the elevators, firing madly at them. Maxwell stood in his seat and fired at the small group of them, completely clearing a way to the elevator. He jumped out of the car, letting Kinzie run in front of him. Before boarding the elevator, he fired at another group of men that were heading towards them. The doors closed and Kinzie pushed the button that brought them to the penthouse. She looked over Maxwell who looked slightly out of breath. She noticed she was as well.<p>

"Are you alright?" She asked, a hand on his shoulder.

"Fine. Party's just getting started." He smiled at her. She smiled back, a bit apprehensively. They reached the penthouse and saw the Saints gathered together outside, firing down at their attackers. Viola ran to them, a machine gun in her hands. Her face in a scowl of anger.

"What the fuck did you guys run into and why the fuck did you bring it here?" She shouted.

"We didn't 'run' into anything. They found us." Maxwell replied, trying to keep his cool.

"Great, so what are we going to do?"

"We're gonna get our asses out there and fight." He said, pushing past her. Kinzie followed quickly behind.

"Where can I get a gun? I want to help."

Maxwell stopped and looked at her.

"Kinz, I really rather you didn't. I don't want you to get hurt. Maybe you can keep a track of their movements and-"

"I want to help, dammit." She replied fiercely. Maxwell let out a sigh then pointed towards the bar room.

"You'll probably find something in there. But be quick and stay near me at all times, got it?"

"Got it." She turned and ran towards the room he had pointed her to. Viola came to his side, her face still carrying some of it's anger.

"You don't think she's a hindrance?"

Maxwell ignored her, heading towards the patio. Kinzie ran back to him holding a Krukov. They stepped outside into the fire fight. Gunfire and yells were all around them. Maxwell looked over the crowd until he saw Peirce shooting over the side of the building. He went to him quickly.

"What's going on, man?" Peirce called over the rapid fire of his gun.

"No idea. Let's just try to clear them out then we'll get our shit straight. Where's Shaundi and Oleg?"

"Shaundi's on the West side, Oleg is is downstairs with a couple guys fighting them head on."

Peirce fired again at an N-Forcer that was beginning to smoke. Maxwell joined in with his launcher, firing at the huge, nearly-indestructible tanks. Kinzie stood by his side, taking aim on unprotected soldiers.

"Snipers!" A Saint yelled across from them. A loud crack rang out over them. Maxwell cursed under his breath and began to search for cover.

"Stay close, Kinzie!" He yelled back at her. They ran behind a pillar and waited as the Saints armed with Sniper rifles brought down the opponents. Despite the noise, Maxwell noticed his phone was ringing from the vibration coming from his pocket. Kinzie looked at him when he made a questioning face.

"What? What is it?" She called over the shots.

He pulled out his phone and looked at the I.D. It came up_ 'restricted'_. He furrowed his brow and answered the call. A voice came over the line and spoke only one sentence before hanging up.

"I'm sending in help, you're welcome."

He looked at his phone a moment, a look of bewilderment on his face.

"The fuck?" He cursed.

"Who was it?" Kinzie asked urgently.

Before he could answer, Peirce called over to him.

"Boss! You have to see this!"

Maxwell looked at Kinzie seriously.

"Stay here till I say other wise." He spoke to her. He ran over to Peirce who stood looking over the edge of the building. He glanced down to where Peice was looking and noticed right away what it was that had him in shock.  
>Below them, fleets of orange and black tanks and police cruisers opened fire on the members of STAG, evenly matched with the army. They attacked STAG with full force. Maxwell noticed a symbol on one of their tanks that looked like a sun. It was a symbol carried by all of them, one that he knew only too well.<p>

_Ultor..._

* * *

><p>Not long after, the fight was over. The STAG was outnumbered and caught by surprise, resulting in their swift failure. The Saints watched the Ultor police get into their cruisers, the heavily armored soldiers get back into their tanks. They departed as if nothing had happened. Everyone stared at the leaving group in amazement. Peirce turned to Maxwell, peeling his eyes away from the scene.<p>

"Boss. What the hell was that?"

"You're gonna think I'm crazy if I tell you." Maxwell replied.

"What is it?" Shaundi asked, coming to their side. Maxwell let out a breath and looked back at the street that was littered with the wreckage of the battle.

"I got a call during the fight. The person said that they were sending help. Next thing I know, Ultor's here."

"Who was it?" Asked Peirce. Maxwell looked back at Peirce and Shaundi. His face was serious.

"It...it sounded like Troy."

The group surrounding him let out a few gasps, others began questioning him as to who he was talking about. Maxwell turned to them, his hands in the air to get them to quiet.

"To those of you that were wondering, Troy used to be a lieutenant for the Saints when I first joined. Turns out, he was actually a cop. A couple years ago he was promoted to chief of police." Maxwell explained.  
>The Saints looked taken aback.<p>

"Why should we trust him?" Asked one.

"Why is he helping us?" Asked another.

Maxwell raised his hands again and they went silent. He spoke his next words carefully.

"He was a good friend at the time, and for some reason that even I don't know, he still seems loyal to the Saints. Hell, I've heard that he was the one who kept me alive when I was in a coma. I'm not sure what his plan is, but I'll be damned if we don't figure it out."

The small crowd began to talk amongst themselves. Peirce bent towards Maxwell's ear.

"And what do we do if Troy isn't feeling friendly and this was just a fluke?" He asked quietly. Maxwell smirked back at him and replied simply,

"_Then_, Peirce, we'll worry."

* * *

><p>The next morning, Maxwell sat in the airport awaiting Angel's arrival. He killed his time by reading a few magazines, cleaning his glasses and grabbing a bite to eat at a nearby concession stand. He stood up when he saw Angel come through the security. He had with him only 2 smaller suitcases. Maxwell walked to him and held out his hand.<p>

"It's good to have you back, mate." He said to the wrestler.

Angel gave him a slight smile, taking his leader's hand.

"It's good to be back." He replied.

"Are you hungry?" Maxwell asked as they headed towards the exit. Angel shook his head.

"No time. We need to start getting ready."

"I thought Killbane and Miller weren't set up yet."

"They weren't. But I'm not leaving anything more to chance."

"Do you have anything in mind?"

"Maybe. We'll talk on the way to my place."

They walked to Maxwell's car, Angel placed his suitcases in the backseat carefully. Maxwell noticed this.

"Your stuff will be fine." He remarked.

"It's fragile."

"What is?"

"No time now." Angel repeated then sat in the passenger seat. Maxwell looked at him strangely, then looked to his suitcases. He'd be lying to himself if he wasn't a bit nervous. Angel had a strange way of doing things, he remembered. It was hard to forget having a tiger riding shotgun with you. He hoped there wasn't another one of his 'tests' in those briefcases. He thought it best to ignore them for now and sat behind the wheel.

"So anything new on your end?" Angel asked as Maxwell started the engine.

"Well, STAG attacked us yesterday again."

"Really?" Said Angel, not sounding all that surprised.

"Get this though. They followed Kinzie and I from her place to the penthouse. They were really bearing down on us, it was crazy." Maxwell ranted. Angel only nodded his head.

"And during the whole bloody thing, I got a phone call."

"From?"

"Troy Bradshaw."

Angel looked towards Maxwell. Angel had a brief knowledge of Troy just from general conversation with other Saints. His face held an expression of wonder.

"I thought he was the Chief of Police." Angel spoke.

"He is. He's been helping me since I joined the Saints. No bloody idea why."

The men were quiet a moment, each having their own thoughts. Angel was the one who broke the silence.

"Do you think we can trust him?" He asked.

"Well, seeing as how he saw me in my most vulnerable position and didn't pull the plug, I'd guess he's got something going for him. Why?"

"Because, we could use his help."

"If I wanted a police force, I'd call Reynolds."

"We both know that's only for the small stuff. The mayor is not going to help you take down a whole army."

Maxwell was quiet again. Angel was right. Reynolds could help but it wouldn't be enough. Not with both the Syndicate and STAG coming after them. If he could get Ultor back on his side, their was no way they would loose the fight. The problem was though how he was going to get Troy's trust. Not to mention, if he could even fully trust Troy himself. He looked over at Angel again and said, "I'll think about it." Angel shook his head and folded his arms across his chest.

"I guess that's better than nothing."

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 14-End<strong>


	15. Fire Power

**Chapter 15**

**-Fire Power-**

Maxwell and Angel sat together at a table in Angel's casino. They had been discussing various tactics since they had arrived.  
>Angel took another swig from his beer can then looked towards his leader. He continued where he had left off.<p>

"They went back to Mexico. Miller's idea. Killbane wasn't too happy with it, obviously, but they were desperate. While they were there, they were recruiting. Their numbers have increased greatly."

"And they still haven't got a plan?" Maxwell asked after swallowing his drink.

"Not one that's set in stone. But they have ideas." Angel answered plainly. Maxwell rubbed a hand over his chin and thought a moment. After a few minutes he asked another question.

"How did you get all this information?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. Angel sat back in his seat, his face free of emotion.

"Simple really. I kept an eye on them. To be honest, at first I planned to just kill Pryor as soon as he originally landed,  
>but then I thought against it once I heard he was planning things with Miller again. We have to go at this intelligently."<p>

Maxwell didn't reply. He hated making plans. Instead he turned his bar stool to face the living room where Angel's luggage leaned against a wall.  
>He looked back to Angel.<p>

"What's all that?" Maxwell asked, pointing a thumb over his shoulder to small pile.

"A present for the Saints, for you especially."

"You're too sweet, Angel." Maxwell smirked. Angel took a quick drink then stood up, walking towards the bags. He bent forward,  
>carefully lifting a silver briefcase. He waked back to Maxwell, who's face was curious.<p>

"Have a look for yourself, friend." Offered Angel, setting the case down gently on the counter in front of his leader. Maxwell looked at it strangely then back to Angel.

"What?" Angel asked.

"There's nothing goofy in here, is there?" Maxwell asked, his hand placed on the surface of the case.

"Define 'goofy'." Angel replied.

Maxwell didn't say anything. He opened the case slowly, his eyes narrowed, half expecting something to spring out at him. His anxieties ceased when his eyes found the items laying before him. Inside lay two weapons he had never seen before as well as 5 small circular items he wasn't familiar with. The guns shined in the low lighting of the kitchen. Maxwell was reminded of the destructive and futuristic looking launcher Miller had used in their fight on Magarac Island. Neon blue lights traced the countours of the guns surface in pencil thin lines. The small balls on the side looked similar in color and texture but they couldn't be bigger than a golf ball.  
>Maxwell stared in disbelief. Angel smiled and leaned forward.<p>

"Well?"

"What in the world?" Maxwell gasped in awe.

"Weapons the Deckers are producing. They are from a new line of super powered weapons that they will be using in the upcoming battles."

"Kinzie wasn't joking around." Said Maxwell, lifting one gun from it's foam encasing, examining it's features.

"Kinzie?" Angel inquired.

"She drew the original blue prints for these. Probably for everything that brat is giving his goons now." Said Maxwell.

"She's...talented." Angel remarked thoughtfully.

"What are these?" Maxwell asked, setting down the gun then preparing to pick up one of the balls that lined the side of the case.

"Be careful." Angel nearly shouted. Maxwell withdrew his hand, looking towards Angel.

"What? What's wrong with them?"

"Nothing. They are just highly explosive."

"They explode?" Maxwell marveled.

"They are essentially grenades. But they are activated by impact. They don't need much to go off." Explained Angel. Maxwell brought his eyebrows together in anger and glared at Angel.

"You put these things in my fucking car?" Maxwell cursed at him.

"Don't worry." Angel said calmly.

"Yeah, it's not your car that would have blown up." Maxwell growled. Angel ignored his complaining and reached for one of the supercharged orbs, holding it up. Maxwell let out a chuckle.

"What kind of damage can that thing do?" Maxwell wondered.

"A lot. I'll show you later. Meanwhile, I have something for you to do."

Maxwell's face suddenly became serious, he was eager to form a plan.

"What is it?"

"You said Kinzie designed these weapons? Well, we need more of them. I want you to ask her to make more."

"She only drew the blue prints, mate."

"Yes, that's what I mean."

"Who the hell is going to make them real then?"

"We'll find a way. Either way, we are going to need them if we are going to do this right. I've seen what these things are capable of."

Maxwell thought to himself how well he himself was acquainted with the space-aged weaponry. He let out a sigh then grabbed his drink. He threw back the remaining liquid inside then tossed the empty can in a nearby trash can. He looked back down at the weaponry in front of him and smiled.

"Alright, mate. I'll see what I can do."

* * *

><p>"How the hell do you plan of accomplishing this, Max?" Kinzie asked, her face buried in her screen as usual. She sat with Maxwell atop the roof of her new apartment,<br>sitting on a ledge next to each other looking over the skyline of Steelport.

"We'll have Oleg do it or something. I don't really know right now. The point is we need you to design us some new weapons."

Kinzie let out a sigh, the sound of her typing ceased. She looked up at Maxwell, her expression serious.

"Okay, I'll do it. But I'm just going to warn you now. Drawing them is simple. I can handle that. Creating them takes time...and a lot of cash."

"Well. We don't have much time, but I'm sure I can help with supplying the money."

"I'll do my best." She resumed typing once more. Silence fell over them a moment. Maxwell took the time to observe the sights before him. The sun had just begun to set, the sky taking on a dark mix of pink, red and blue. It was a time of day where most neighborhoods would be quieting where as here, the sound was just picking up. The sounds of traveling automobiles, faraway music and the occasional gunshot played over the setting. These were noises he was used to. He looked down to Kinzie, who seemed to be in a different world altogether. One made of pixel and binary. He let out a low grunt and shut the cover of her laptop when she rose her hands to push her hair back.

"What the hell?" She yelled at him, her brow furrowed in anger. "It's not like I was doing anything important!"

"Spying on the guys isn't what I consider important, love." Maxwell replied with a smile.

"What I do in my free time is-" Kinzie began but the rest was muffled by Maxwell's lips meeting hers. After a moment he pulled away from her, drawing in a deep breath of the cool air.

"You need to learn how to enjoy other things. Things that don't involve a computer."

"Oh geeze. Like what Max?" Kinzie asked, mocking him with fake interest. Maxwell smiled at her again.

"Turn around." He requested. She looked at him oddly but sat her laptop down on the ground. She turned her body carefully, letting her legs fall over the ledge. She looked up at the sunset that Maxwell had been admiring.

"Beautiful night, isn't it?" He asked, scooting closer to her, his body touching hers. Kinzie stared at the sky a moment. The shades becoming even darker now that the sun was nearly completely descended. Even so, their colors were still vivid, almost surreal.

"It's really something." Said Kinzie, her eyes taking in the scenery. They were quiet for a while afterwards. Both of them listening to the far away music and the sound of the wind. The silence was finally broken by Maxwell.

"So how are you liking your new place?" He asked her. She stared at him in disbelief.

"I've been here less than a day. And almost all my equipment was destroyed when we were attacked by STAG." She spoke, her voice accusatory. Maxwell shrugged off her tone.

"So it's nice?"

"Ugh, yeah. It's fantastic." She rolled her eyes. He also ignored this and wrapped his arm around her waist, burying his face in her neck.

"C'mon, what's the matter, love?" He asked, his lips pressed against her skin.

"You're not the least bit anxious about tomorrow?" Kinzie asked, trying her best to ignore his advances. Maxwell chuckled and pulled away from her.

"It's not like they are attacking tomorrow. We have time. That is, of course, if you get those weapons made."

"And just how am I supposed to that when you're macking all over me?" Kinzie questioned, her voice lighter than before with renewed humor. Maxwell pulled his hands away from her body quickly, raising them in the air in a show of exaggerated surrender.

"Okay, I'm sorry. You can get started on your work now."

Kinzie let out a giggle then closed the distance between them by resting her head on his shoulder. Maxwell, taking this as a sign that her temper had swayed, resumed his hold on her waist.

"It's going to be a hell of a fight, Max." She said, her eyes fixated on the sky which was now almost completely dark with nightfall. Maxwell turned his face to kiss her forehead.

"And we'll be ready."

* * *

><p><strong>Steelport Itl. Airport<strong>

"Relax, Matty, relax...Everything will be fine."

Matt Miller, the young man in black and blue next to him, shook with anxiety. He was trying his best to focus on the magazine he was holding but couldn't seem to manage. How could Killbane be so dense? They weren't near ready to come back to Steelport and even less prepared to take on the Saints. He knew this would be a mistake, regardless of how much firepower they had at their disposal. But despite this, Miller kept quiet. Something that had to be done around Killbane if one was wanting to live.

"I'm fine, sir. I swear. Just a little...airsick." Said Miller, turning to a new page. He jumped when Killbane patted him roughly on his shoulder, knocking the magazine from his sweaty hands. The giant Luchadore let out a deep laugh.

"Ah, that's alright Matty. We'll be landing soon enough." Killbane's eyes narrowed, his brow furrowed, an evil smile over his face. He looked out his side window and to the city before them. He laughed once more at the thought of the upcoming battle.

"Yes, Matty...Soon enough..."

* * *

><p>Chapter 15-End<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

I am so so SORRY for not updating sooner! A lot happened over the holiday season and I just started a new fitness schedule so I've been swamped. I promise to go back to posting twice a week as I used to. A huge thanks to my awesome readers for being so patient and sending me lots of nice messages while I was absent. You guys rock!


	16. Drawing Board

**Chapter 16**

**-Drawing Board-**

A full week had passed since Maxwell had asked Kinzie to work on drawing up the new weapons. It was also a week since Killbane and Matt Miller were scheduled to land. Things had been quiet. Too quiet for Maxwell. He was expecting an enormous fire fight the minute their plane landed, an all out war between the Saints and Syndicate. Although, thinking about it now, he had guessed that wasn't possible. He knew they weren't ready. They were coming back to Steelport to prepare for a fight, not to launch one. Not yet, at least. So things had settled into a natural rhythm.

The Saints relaxed by the pool, completely at ease, instead of the usual quick talks about upcoming battle plans. The whole environment changed in a matter of days, and this bothered Maxwell. What if this was just what Eddie wanted? For the Saints to get comfortable, to nearly forget the impending fight only to be taken by surprise? Maxwell walked by two young female Saints laying on lounge chairs near the pool of the HQ. He cleared his throat to get their attention. The blonde sat up, removing her sunglasses and looking at Maxwell questioningly.

"Hey, Boss. What's going-"

"Shouldn't you be making yourselves useful?" Maxwell interjected. The blonde looked a bit offended, her brunette friend then sat up.

"Yo, Boss. Chill out. We just getting some sun." The brunette defended. Maxwell rolled his eyes at the two women.

"You all need to be getting things together. Killbane and Miller aren't going to just sit around forever." Said Maxwell, glaring at them. The two women looked at each other then began to get their things together, not wanting to risk angering their leader any further. Maxwell said nothing more to them and instead continued walking to the other side of the pool to where he saw Peirce. His lieutenant leaned back in a chair, wearing nothing but a pair of swim trunks, a colorful drink held in one of his hands. Peirce looked up at Maxwell.

"Hey man. Take a seat." Said Peirce, clearing a chair next to him of a book and some newspaper. Maxwell remained standing. His expression the same he had given the two Saints just before. Peirce saw this and swallowed hard.

"Uh, is everything okay?" Peirce asked.

"No, Peirce. It isn't. We got a potential army on our asses and you all are having a God damned pool party." Maxwell cursed, holding a hand out to the deck filled with talking, bathing suit-clad gang members. Peirce shrugged his shoulders.

"We are just having a good time, bro. No need to get all mad. Besides, you usually enjoy this kind of thing."

"I just feel like we shouldn't be letting ourselves get so vulnerable, Peirce."

Peirce was about to reply when Shaundi walked up to them quickly, her anger showing in her movements. She was shouting before she was near them.

"The fuck, Boss? We've got a damn war on our hands and you guys are out here partying? What the fuck-"

Maxwell lifted his hand to silence her. He looked towards her.

"For once, I'm on your side here, Shaundi. I don't think we need to be so relaxed either." Said Maxwell.

"I think both of ya'll need to chill." Peirce said simply, taking a sip of his drink.

Maxwell was about to say something to him when Kinzie ran up behind him, tapping him on his shoulder. He turned to her and smiled.

"Hey Kinz, what's-" He began, holding his hands out to hug her.

"I've finished." She said. Maxwell paused, quickly lowering his arms.

"The blueprints?"

"Duh."

"Great!" Maxwell turned back to Shaundi.

"You keep yelling at Peirce. I need to take care of something." Maxwell said before taking Kinzie's hand and walking away through the growing crowd. They got through it eventually and sat in the living room of the Penthouse where it was much more quiet.

"What's with all that?" Kinzie asked,pointing out the glass wall to the party-goers. Maxwell grunted his disapproval and answered, "Probably Peirce's idea."

"Do you think it's wise to be celebrating when-"

"Believe me, I know...Anyway, where's these blueprints?"

"I was about to find Oleg and talk to him about getting them made. Do you know where he is?"

Now that Maxwell had thought of it, he hadn't heard from Oleg in a while. Angel was pretty quiet as well. He knew they must be up to something.

"Actually, no. I'll give him a call. Let me see those drawings." Maxwell said, pulling his phone from his pocket. Kinzie nodded then walked over to the bar where a small backpack sat. She unzipped it and pulled out some rolled up papers. She pulled the rubber band off of them and straightened the pages, handing them to Maxwell. Putting his phone between his ear and his shoulder, Maxwell began to thumb though the documents. He was silent a moment as Kinzie looked on. Maxwell paused when Oleg answered his call.

"Boss?"

"Oleg. How's it been, mate? Haven't heard from ya' in a week." Maxwell smiled then continued eyeing the pages in his hands. He came upon a particularly interesting one and looked at Kinzie, his eyebrow raised.

"You really know the way to my heart, love." He whispered to her. She remained silent but a red blush warmed her cheeks.

"Yes. Sorry about that, friend. I assure you my absence was not in vain." Oleg replied.

"Oh? What have you been up to?"

"Some research mainly. I think you will be very happy with our findings."

Maxwell smirked. He reached the last page and handed them back to Kinzie. He nodded and winked at her. She took this as his approval.

"Is there anyway I could come and discuss these things with you right now? I have something you may find interesting as well."

Oleg paused a moment but then answered with a simple,"That's fine."

"Fantastic. Where are you?"

"Angel's casino."

"Alright, I'll be there in just a bit."

Kinzie looked at Maxwell with curiosity.

"Well? What's up?"

Maxwell walked past her and towards the elevators. Kinzie quickly followed him.

"Apparently he has something for me. Well, him and Angel."

"I wonder what they found." Kinzie thought out loud. Maxwell boarded the elevator and held the _door open_ button for her. She stopped outside the doors.

"Don't know. Heading there now. Care to join, darling?"

"I dunno..."

"Not really a question. Someone's gotta explain this stuff to Oleg. I sure as shit have no idea how to do it."

Kinzie let out a sigh then ran back to the bar to get her backpack and laptop. After gathering her things she got into the elevator with him. She looked at him as he smiled crookedly down at her and then rolled her eyes.

"I guess you have a point."

* * *

><p>Maxwell and Kinzie arrived at Angel's place not too long after. When they entered the nearly dilapidated building, they saw Angel right away. He was in his makeshift ring practicing different grapples. Maxwell whistled to get his attention. Angel looked up to his leader.<p>

"Boss. I heard Oleg is wanting to show you what we found."

"You got that right Angel. Where is the big guy?" Maxwell asked, pushing aside various rubble with his boot.

"He'll be here any-"

Oleg appeared before Angel could finish. The giant Russian walked over to Maxwell and Kinzie.

"Afternoon." He said politely.

"So, where's my present?" Maxwell asked.

"I have good news. After days of research, Angel and I have finally found a way to reproduce the weapons the Deckers have been using."

Maxwell let out a laugh and gestured for Kinzie to open her backpack.

"That's funny, Oleg. Because I just so happen to have some blueprints for you to bring to life." Maxwell fished around the bag and pulled out the rolled paper, handing it to Oleg. He took it, looking at it questioningly.

"That was fast. How did you produce these so quickly?" Oleg asked, reading through the sheets of paper. Maxwell cocked his head towards Kinzie, smiling.

"She gets the credit." Said Maxwell. Kinzie blushed once more. Oleg was quiet for a moment, examining the drawings. Angel had joined him at his side.

"These are very detailed." Oleg marveled.

"So you can create these things right?" Maxwell asked, his excitement growing.

"Absolutely. However, it will take time."

"How long?"

Oleg thought to himself a moment, running the calculations in his head. He then looked at Angel who only gave him a single nod.

"A month." He finally spoke. Maxwell was taken back at words.

"A month? We don't have a bloody month." He snapped, his elation melting into anger.

"My apologies, friend, but I just do not see any other way. In fact, a month is a relatively short time for this kind of thing."

Maxwell sighed angrily, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. After a while he felt he was calm enough to speak again.

"Okay. Okay. Just get it done right. I don't want a gun to blow up on me when I pull the trigger."

"We'll get started on it now." Angel said to his leader.

"Right. Well, I'm starved." Maxwell looked down at Kinzie who surprisingly hadn't buried herself in her laptop yet.

"Want to go get something to eat?" He asked her. She shrugged back at him then looked at Angel and Oleg.

"I think I'll stay here and see if I can help." She replied.

"We could use the extra brain." Angel said.

Maxwell let out another huff then began walking towards the door. He was feeling more and more useless as the minutes ticked by. And useless was a feeling he despised more than any other. He turned back to his comrades for a moment.

"I'll be back soon. You guys want anything?"

* * *

><p>"Chief seems to be leaving. Your orders?" The Decker spoke into his earpiece. He brushed his spiked bangs from his eye. The voice spoke to him over his receiver. He had gotten his plan of action. He turned the key in the ignition, the engine of the<em> Criminal<em> roared to life. He waited patiently as the leader of the Third Street Saints got into his car. A few seconds after he left his parking spot, the Decker followed him.

"So we're just going to follow his ass there?" His partner asked.

"We have to make a quick stop to pick up the help but yes. That's the gist of the idea." The Decker replied, making a turn, being sure to keep a safe distance.

"He's as good as dead. There's no way he can outrun us now."

"Don't wet your pants just yet, Kyle. This guy is crafty. He's survived up till now, do you really think that's to be taken lightly?"

Kyle scoffed at his partner.

"You sound like the president of his fan club."

"Just call the bloody help, alright? Make yourself useful or I'll make sure you're the first one he kills."

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 16-End<strong>


	17. David and Goliath

**Chapter 17**

**-David and Goliath-**

Maxwell stood in line behind several people, occasionally tapping the toe of his boot with impatience. The person at the front of the line was taking much too long for his liking. His usual jumbled thoughts were routinely interrupted by a growl or rumble from his empty stomach. After another moment he let out an aggravated sigh, throwing his hands to the side in frustration and cursed, "Jesus Christ, just pick something. It's all burgers and fries. Can't go wrong with any of it!"

The small line in front of him turned to look at the gang leader, their faces all taking on the same shocked expression when they realized who he was.

"Oh my God! The leader of the Saints!" One young man with an assortment of piercings yelled.

"It is! Oh shit!" A girl in shades next to him called. The rest of the crowd joined in with various 'oohs' and 'ahhhs' and even the occasional "Holy crap". Maxwell let out another angry sigh and pushed the people roughly aside as he headed towards the cashier. They didn't seem to mind him cutting in line. He reached the counter where a young girl with strangely dyed hair stood. He noticed that even she looked star-struck. He ignored this and went on with his order.

"Yeah, I'll have three-"

"You're so fucking hot." The girl breathed. Maxwell gave her an obviously forced smile and cleared his throat.

"Hmm, yes. Now, I want to get three large-"

"Can I get your autograph?" The girl asked, looking around the counter for a pen and piece of recite paper. Once obtaining her items, she tugged nervously at her clothing and wild hair.

"Listen, lady, I just don't have the time for-"

"OH! And can I get a picture too? My friend just aren't going to believe I met the leader of-"

"Oh for fuck's sake." Maxwell cursed, whipping out his Sheppard and pointing it between the woman's eyes. Her expression changed only slightly from excitement to surprise.

"Give me some food or I swear in five seconds they'll be cleaning your brains out of the bloody deep-fryer!"

The girl went quiet for a moment, as in thought. She looked down at the gun then finally spoke up.

"If I do, can I at least get your autograph?" She asked, her eyes bright, pen and paper in her hands. Maxwell held his gun on her for a moment, disbelieving. He then sighed and simply said, "Fine."

After finally receiving his order which consisted of three large paper bags and drinks, as well as signing her paper and chest, Maxwell made his way to the exit of the restaurant. He couldn't wait to get back to Angel's to see if there was some way he could speed things up. He slowed his pace when he saw two young Deckers marching up the walkway to the store. They both held a machine gun in their gloved hands. In an instant they raised their guns and pointed them at Maxwell who at the same time ducked and rolled to hide underneath a nearby table. The gunfire and the smash of shattering glass rang out through the building, people screamed and fell to the floor, covering their heads. Maxwell took off to the back of the store where a door leading to the food prep area stood. He fired back at the Deckers as he ran. With a slicing sound and a tearing pain in his shoulder, he realized he had been grazed by a bullet. He picked up his speed and ran into the door and through the cooking area, pushing the employees to the side to get by. The Deckers followed him closely, shooting the workers when they got in the way.

Maxwell finally found the backdoor he had been looking for and burst out of it. He suddenly noticed he was still holding his bags and marveled at this for a moment before taking off once more around the building and to his car. Bullets whizzed past him quickly,pinging off the dumpsters and walls that lined the alley. He turned the corner leading out to the street and came to a dead stop once laying eyes on the hulking mass in front of him. A Brute.

Before he even realized it, a gigantic fist sent him flying in the air and down the street by several feet. Everything went black for a moment. The burning in his arm was quickly replaced by a searing and pounding pain in his jaw and head. He squinted his eyes and shook his head, slowly sitting up, feeling a warm trickle of blood fall over his forehead and down his face. He looked around and saw his bags laid out around him. In the backround he saw the fuzzy image of multiple black and blue cars coming to a stop, Deckers pouring out of them holding weapons. He blinked, the image got even blurrier, then dark as a giant shadow loomed over him. And then there was nothing.

Maxwell awoke to a shooting pain in his head and burning on his left shoulder. His jaw throbbed painfully as well. It felt swollen, possibly fractured. He'd have yet another one to add to the ever growing list. He tried to open his eyes but only saw black. He soon realized that was because of a makeshift blindfold covering his eyes. At this time he also felt the pressure of rope uncomfortably cutting into his wrists.

_God dammit. I've been captured. I've been fucking captured._

He tried sitting up but hit his head on unmoving metal. The blow only increased the throbbing in his head. Cursing in pain and anger, he tried to stretch his legs out of his current fetal position but hit another side of the metal.

_I'm in a bloody trunk._

He cursed again, his voice even more rough than usual. Aggravation clouding his thoughts, he raised his knee and pounded it against the roof of the trunk repetitively.  
>After a few strikes he stopped, breathing hard, his mind in a whirlwind. He was trapped. There was no way out. He had been caught a few times before but this was his first visit to a trunk. He tried to calm his thoughts and concentrate. He had to wait. Wait until his captors took him wherever they planned to take him. Then, he thought, is when he could escape. This breif lapse in anxiety faded when he recalled an incident similar to this. Lin.<p>

This was how it happened to her. Tied in a trunk, driven into a lake and left to drown. He thought of how she had suffered, how afraid she must have been. Suddenly, his heart burst into a frantic pace and he resumed his attack on the metal above him, this time much more furious. He couldn't die like that. He wouldn't. He couldn't save her and that thought alone tore at him to this day. And Kinzie. What would happen to her? He was her protector. He had sworn to her, Oleg and himself that he would give anything to keep her safe. But to do that, he just could not die.

He had stopped hitting the roof and held his breath when he heard voices. They were approaching the car. He prepared himself to attack if they opened the trunk, but their voices went past and to the doors of the car. They opened them and got in, the vehicle moving slightly with their weight. He listened intently to their conversation.

"Okay, so we bring him to the big guys now?" One voice asked.

"Right. Keep an eye open while I'm driving. Have you heard from Miller?" Another voice replied.

"No. He's probably setting up a party for us. Can't believe we got him! We fuckin' got the bitch!" The first voice raised in excitement.

"What did I tell you about getting a big head, mate? Now, shut up and pay attention."

Maxwell heard and felt the engine of the car roar to life then felt as the car first backed up then drove off towards it's destination.

They're taking me to Pryor and Miller. Bloody hell.

Maxwell thought to himself. He had to think of a plan out of this. And he had to think fast.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 17-End<strong>


	18. Lost and Found

**Chapter 18**

**-Lost and Found-  
><strong>

Kinzie stood in front of the flashing machine known simply as the _Converter_ with her eyes wide and mouth slack. Angel and Oleg brought her down into the lower floor of the casino to show her the device. She couldn't believe it when she first saw it. It stood nearly a foot taller than her, multiple screens flashed on it's front control panel. Underneath, a drawer could be pulled out that unfolded in a way similar to that of a brief case. The lining of it was a type of felt that could be molded to fit any style or size of gun. *Within reason.* Angel had explained.

"I take it that you like the Converter?" He spoke to her as he sat her drawings on a table and began writing something on a notepad.

"It's amazing, Angel." She breathed, her hand reaching out to caress the cold frame.

"Don't tell me that. Tell it to Oleg. He did the scientific part. I mainly handled putting it together."

"You two are geniuses. Can I see it in action?"

Angel sat his pen down and eyed Oleg who stood next to him. The big Russian pushed his sleeve back, taking the time off his gold watch.

"The Boss has been gone quite a while. Perhaps we should call him?" He asked Kinzie.

"Yeah. I'm sure he'll get angry if we show you how this works without him." Angel replied before she could answer.

The small girl pushed her glasses back up the bridge of her nose, turning away from the machine to look at the men standing with her.

"I guess you have a point. I'll call him." She walked to the table Angel sat at, pulling her laptop from her bag.

"Thought you said you were calling him?" Angel questioned.

Kinzie sat the computer on the table and pressed a a couple keys. "I am." She replied. Angel didn't ask anymore. Instead he turned to Oleg.

"Why don't you get the Converter ready so we can get right to it when he gets here?"

"Yes. The Boss doesn't quite have a knack for patience." Oleg laughed.

"That's strange." Kinzie mumbled. Angel turned to look first at her then the screen on her laptop.

"Is there a problem? You could use my pho-"

"His phone is off. I can't get a signal on it at all." Kinzie said, worry beginning to cover her voice.

"Off? Maybe he's out goofing around?" Angel suggested.

"No." Kinzie said sharply, nearly interrupting him. "He wouldn't be out wasting time right now." She continued.

"Could he have run into trouble?" Asked Oleg. Both Kinzie and Angel looked at him. Kinzie spoke what they all knew was true.

"It's him. Of course he's run into trouble."

* * *

><p>Maxwell felt the car come to a stop, then idle momentarily before going completely silent. He felt and slightly heard the shifting and movement of the men holding him captive.<p>

_This has to be it. Now's my chance._ Maxwell thought to himself, moving his body as much as he could to position himself for a kick.

"You got the call from Miller yet, ya?" One Decker said to the other. The car rocked as the two men got out and shut the doors behind them. Maxwell gritted his teeth in anger.

_As soon as I'm out of this trunk, you bastards are dead._ His muscles tightened, his hearing finely tuned, listening to the soft footsteps of their boots. But they sounded distant now. Maxwell's heart skipped a beat.

_They're leaving me here? What in the bloody fuck am I supposed to do now?_

In a blind fury, he began throwing his shoulder into the trunk's hood, barely noticing the pain of his injuries anymore.

"Hey Dean! Move your ass will ya? Open the trunk!" One of the Decker's called. Maxwell stopped moving as soon as he heard the man's voice. He braced himself again, preparing to kick with all his might as soon as he was able. More footsteps, running towards him. The jingling of keys. The vibration of the truck coming unlocked.

_This is it._

Before he could kick his legs out of the trunk, a gigantic hand wrapped itself around his neck, slamming him roughly back into the floor of the trunk and catching his curse as it came out.

"Not...fast..." A deep accented voice grumbled.

_A brute?_

The hand gripped tighter, pulling Maxwell by his throat out of the confines of the trunk. Maxwell came to his feet, hand still cutting off his oxygen, he began kicking with all the strength he had left. The blows weren't felt by the huge clone.

"Whoa, shoulda tied his feet, eh?" The Decker called.

"Shaddup and get moving!" The other yelled back. Maxwell's vision began to blur and darken once again. The Brute began to walk back to where he had come from, a place that Maxwell may have noticed as a closed bar had the blood been allowed to flow to his brain.  
>His kicks continued, with less and less forced until he was being completely dragged by the clone, his feet dragging on the hard concrete.<p>

_No...dammit...gotta stay...awake..._

And then the darkness returned.

* * *

><p>"WAKE UP, FUCKER!"<p>

A hand collided with Maxwell's already throbbing face with a slap. His eyes opened, taking in his surroundings briefly before attempting to lunge at the man before him. His body snapped back. His wrists tied behind him with rough rope. Both feet tied to the legs of the chair. A thicker rope pushed painfully on his chest and middle. He grimaced in pain.

"Yeah, that'll teach ya' ta' come jumpin' at me, eh', stupid!" The Decker yelled in his face.

"Dean shut your damn mouth already!" The other Decker called, finally coming into view.

"Who the fuck are you two?" Maxwell grunted, his throat raw from the Brute's hand.

"Just your friendly neighborhood Deckers, mate!"

"Dean, go get Miller! I've got this."

The younger Deckers' face went from lunatic joy to hatred at his senior's order.

"Now." The older man repeated. The young Decker paid Maxwell one final glance before stomping away and through a door. Maxwell then realized they were in the back office of a bar. Old show girl paintings hung crookedly on the peeling wallpapered walls. The room smelt strongly of alcohol and garbage, making his already queasy stomach roll more. The Decker walked to an old office desk pressed against the wall and took a pack of cigarettes from a pocket of his jacket.

"My apologies for my brother. He can be quite...eccentric." He said, leaning against the table and lighting his smoke.

"That's gotta be the first time I've gotten an apology from someone holding me hostage."

"Do you smoke?" The Decker asked, ignoring Maxwell's comment and holding a single cigarette out to him.

"Not typically but sure."

The man pushed away from the desk and placed the cigarette in Maxwell's mouth, then lighting it.

"Thanks, mate." Maxwell spoke from the side of his mouth.

"No worries."

"You didn't lace this with anything strange, have you?" Maxwell questioned.

"Not at all. I just figured a man would like to have one last smoke before his demise." The man said, leaning again on the desk.  
>Maxwell smirked back at him then took a deep drag, inhaling the strong smoke into his lungs. He had forgotten how long it had been since he had smoked.<p>

"That's cute kid." He said finally, exhaling.

"The name is Donnie. But enough about me. Tell me, how does it feel to be powerless? To know that all the fighting, all the hard work and glory you've had is about to be completely erased?"

"I don't have time for mind games, kid. Now make nice and untie these bloody ropes and I just _may_ let you live."

The Decker laughed, smoke coughing from him.

"You'll let me live? Has the feared leader of the 3rd Street Saints finally gone soft? Must be that girl of yours that's making you so weak."

Maxwell's brow furrowed. His fists clenched.

"You shut your mouth about her." He growled.

"Touched a nerve have I? I never would have thought a big scary guy such as yourself would crumble to pieces for a woman."

"Why don't you get your boss so I can kill him, then you, and I can get on with my life?" Maxwell snapped at him. The man chuckled to himself, putting his cigarette out in a nearby ashtray.

"In due time. Soon my brother will be back with Miller and we'll turn you over to Killbane and then _I_ will get on with my fabulous new life of riches and celebrity."

Maxwell made a gagging sound then laughed. "Really? That's what this is about? You think you're gonna get the recognition for capturing me? You must be daft, boy."

"What do you know?"

Maxwell closed his eyes, and inhaled another lungful. He then smiled at the man before him.

"I was there. They don't care about you. None of 'em do. You're nothing but mere cannon fodder. You and your brother may have got me but you won't get shit for it. It will be all their effort and none of yours."

"You assume I'm on the same level as you. You're mistaken, old man."

Maxwell bit down on his cigarette, not taking the jab at his age too well. Before he could speak, there was the click of a door opening.

"See boss? Told ya' we got 'em!" Dean said to the leader of the Deckers, Matt Miller.

"Ah, what a pleasure it is to see you again." Miller crooned, coming to stand before Maxwell.

"Only if it means I finally get to slit your throat." Maxwell threatened. Miller smiled at his comment then let out a laugh.

"I'd watch my tongue if I was you, _Boss_. If you anger me enough I may just have to start picking off your friends, one by one, like ducks in a shooting gallery."

"Shut up."

"And I know just who to start with too! The perfect target!"

"Shut your God damn mouth, Miller."

"Your dear darling Kinz-" Before Miller could finish his taught, Maxwell lunged at him. Miller jumped back, pulling a taser from the back of his jeans, pressing it into the bruised shoulder of Maxwell. Currents of electricity coursed painfully throughout Maxwell's body, convulsing from the shock. Miller grabbed a fist full of Maxwell's hair and looked deeply into his eyes.

"You listen to me, Maxxy. You're days are severly numbered. You have absolutely no idea who you are fucking with so I suggest from here on out you be a good boy and do what I say." Miller shoved Maxwell back into the chair. His body still shook slightly but painfully. His head dropped to his chest in wasted adrenaline.

"Call Killbane. Tell him we'll be there by tonight." He heard Miller instruct the two men, followed by the scuff of his shoes walking away and out of the room. He opened his eyes once the shakes finally wore off. In his spent state of mind, one thing passed through his mind at that moment.

_I dropped my bloody smoke._

* * *

><p><em><strong>To Be Continued...<strong>  
><em>

_**A/N:  
><strong>_

_**I just want to give a huge thanks to those who have stuck with this story from it's beginning to now. I never thought it would get this much support when I first started writing it. I'm sorry for not updating at all but things here have been incredibly busy and stressful. I can't make any promises, but I will try to update on a more regular pattern soon.  
><strong>_

_**Thank you!  
><strong>_

_**-R.B.  
><strong>_


	19. Lights Out

**Chapter 19 **

**-Lights Out-**

With a hard snap, Kinzie shut her laptop and quickly pushed away from the table and stood.

"We need to find him. Something isn't right." She said, shuffling her things into her backpack quickly.

"If something did happen, how are we going to find him?" Angel asked, walking closer to Kinzie.

"We'll start by heading to Freckle Bitch's. But we need to bring some firepower, if he was attacked, we could be walking into a war."

Kinzie zipped her bag quickly and started for the door but stopped when Oleg raised a hand.

"One problem. The Converter cannot be left alone when we have such a high chance of being attacked. If it was to fall into the hands our enemy, it would be almost certain defeat. Someone will have to stay and watch the Casino."

"I'll stay." Angel spoke up." "It's my home, I should defend it."

"Good. Let's go Oleg." Kinzie resumed her walk to the door but was stopped once again, this time by Angel.

"Wait. Take the Converter's weapons instead."

She stared at him a moment. "Are they ready to be used?"

"Yes." Angel walked back to the Converter and pulled one of the neon-lit rifles from it's case. He turned to Kinzie and placed the unexpectedly light gun in her hands.

"I've heard you're good with a gun."

"I've had a bit of practice. We'll be back soon. Call some guys just in case, they'll help you defend this place."

"Got it." Angel looked up at Oleg who towered over both of them.

"Do you want a weapon?"

"I have my own weapons, friend." The giant Russian smiled, squeezing his huge hands into fists.

* * *

><p><em>"Why are you holding your gun like that, dumb ass? No wonder you can't shoot worth shit."<em>

_Maxwell took his eye off the target and looked at the gun in his hand, then back at Lin._

_"I dunno. It's how everybody else does it, ya?"_

_"Ugh. Just because everyone does it, doesn't mean it's right." Lin put down her gun on a nearby table and walked over to Maxwell._

_"You hold it like this."_

_Roughly taking his hand, she moved his weapon so that it faced straightly towards the red target on the wall. He couldn't help but take in the smell of her skin at the breif closeness._

_"Try it now." She said, stepping back and folding her arms over her middle. Maxwell eyed her a minute speculatively then shrugged and took aim. His eyes followed the holes that sprinkled around the bulls-eye. He hadn't hit it once today. He didn't see what the big difference hand positioning made, but he was willing to give it a shot for her. Finding his mark, he pulled the trigger and fired._

_"Ha! Told ya." Lin laughed, punching his arm. Maxwell frowned at her then looked at the target, the bulls-eye hit dead center._

_"Shit." He muttered, reloading his gun while Lin cackled behind him._

_"You need to tighten up your game if you want to walk these streets, kid. Getting full of yourself is going to get you killed." She said, putting a cigarette between her lips and lighting it. Smoke rose from it's tip, clouding her whole face until all he could see was a small glimmer of her brown eyes. He started to choke from the smell of it. It was too much smoke. He couldn't breathe._

"GET UP!" Millers voice sliced through his dream. Maxwell awoke coughing, his lungs and eyes burned.

"I know I gave you quite a shock before, but I didn't think you'd still be convulsing. Or were you having a nice little dream, perhaps? Maybe one starring your beloved redheaded little tart?"

"Let..me go." Maxwell grunted.

"Afraid that's not the plan tonight, Maxxy. But we are going to go on a field trip. Hope you dressed accordingly." Miller taunted, walking back to the desk across from where Maxwell sat. His vision clearer, Maxwell finally saw the source of his irritation. Donnie sat atop the table, a cigarette in his mouth.  
>He'd also just noticed an increased pain coursing through his head. He'd temporarily forgotten about the second beating Donnie had given him. His mouth felt full of blood, his ribs felt broken.<p>

"Why can't Killbane just come and see me himself? Afraid he can't win in a face-to-face bout?" Maxwell asked gruffly.

"He's the boss, it's his rules. Personally, I would love to kill you right now but Killbane has something special for you in mind."

"You are all fucking with the wrong person, Miller."

Matt smirked and pushed away from the desk, closing the distance between him and Maxwell.

"Your threats are falling on deaf ears, Maxxy. Now, I have a question for you, though it may be a daft one. Are you going to come with us willingly, or will I have to-"

Maxwell spat blood into Miller's face, taking the words from his mouth.

"Piss off."

The Decker's eye twitched in anger and disgust. "I see. If that's what you wish."

With a split-second movement, Miller snatched the taser from his belt and shot Maxwell in his exposed shoulder. His body shook violently then ceased, his head falling limp to his chest. Matt took a deep breath, putting away the taser then wiping the blood on his cheek with his sleeve.

"Let's get going. Killbane is waiting."

* * *

><p>Kinzie stopped her truck when she saw the police tape and flashing lights. Officers patrolled the area, some taking witness reports, others photographing evidence.<p>

"Oh no." She gasped. Oleg stood straight in the back of the truck, trying to get a better look.

"The Syndicate must have ambushed him. We need to tell Peirce and Shaundi." Oleg called to her.

"Dammit!" Kinzie banged her fists on the steering wheel. She knew something had happened to him.

"Excuse me ma'am?"

She looked up to see an officer approaching her vehicle, his hand on his holster.

"You gotta get movin', this here is an ongoing investigation." The officer suggested.

"Was the leader of the Saints here?" Kinzie asked quickly.

"Uh...well yeah. Witnesses are sayin' he was abducted by those Decker fellas."

Kinzie's eyes widened.

"Oleg, hold on!"

"Kinzie, what exactly are you planning?"

Instead of answering, she put the truck in reverse, turning around in a squeal of burning rubber.

"Kinzie!" Oleg called, holding on tightly to the roof of the truck.

Kinzie ignored Oleg's calls and turned her attention to the screen in her dashboard. With the tap of her finger it lit up.

"Oleg! I'm going to hack into the traffic cams and see where they took Maxwell! Hang on tight, this is going to be a rough ride!"

* * *

><p>From the smell of the saltwater, the hum of the ground below him, and the sickening churning in his stomach, he quickly realized he was on a boat. Despite having his eyes opened, all he could see was darkness.<p>

_Blind-folded and on a bloody damn boat. How delightful._

"Approaching the island, Miller sir!

"Go ahead and get him ready, but keep your guards up. He's a feisty one."

Maxwell felt hands pull him up by his restrained arms. The awkward angle gave his already ravaged body a bolt of distress.

"Wakey wakey, old man."

"Shut your mouth Dean. Keep your hands on him!"

"Remove his blindfold. I want him to see what we've been spending our time on."

Maxwell's stomach gave a lurch when his vision was suddenly given back. The sun was much too bright, and the rock of the waves was throwing his equilibrium  
>off balance. He stumbled with a grunt, the two smaller men regaining their grip on him.<p>

"Hello Maxwell! How was your nap?"

"Where the fuck are you taking me?"

"You should feel lucky, Maxxy. You are about to be the first visitor to what will soon be the biggest casino and resort in Steelport!"

Stomach finally settling, Maxwell directed his attention to the sea. Sitting in the ocean before them was something comparable to the architecture used by the Greeks.

"Welcome, my friend, to Killbane Island!"

**TBC**


	20. In The Open

**Chapter 20**

**-In The Open-**

Stone pillars lined the outside of the enormous coliseum. Palm trees and other tropical plants scattered over the island's floor. Statues of Killbane's likeness marked the beginning of the cobblestone path leading to the main building. Once they had reached the land, the Deckers quickly forced Maxwell into the back of a nearby Criminal. The leader of the Saints stared in awe at the monuments to Killbane's hubris.

"Your boss is ridiculous." Boss snorted as they passed yet another statue of the former heavyweight.

"What can I say? The man knows a thing or two about self-promotion." Miller said from the front passenger seat.

"_Gangsters in Space_ was self-promotion. This is just goddamn vanity."

"Duly noted. Now, try to make yourself presentable. We're nearly there."

The truck soon came to a stop at the end of the driveway. Donnie put the car in park before reaching under his seat and pulling out a pistol that looked similar to the ones Kinzie had made the blueprints to.

"I suppose you're going to knock me out again, right?" said Maxwell with a slight lisp. His jaw was beginning to swell.

_Just fantastic._

"No, I'm not. I don't want to risk killing you again. So you're going to have to be on your best behavior for me." Miller said, pulling a weapon of his own from a holster hidden by his jacket.

"That's fine by me. Whatever gets my hands around Killbane's throat fastest."

Matt smirked back at Maxwell then opened his door and got out.

"I'd check that confidence at the door, Maxxy. You are more out of your league than you could possibly imagine."

Two other Deckers, including Donnie and his brother Dean joined Matt's sides, all aiming their weapons at the beaten and bruised Saint.

"Don't let your guards down for a second, gentlemen."

The men surrounded Maxwell as he slowly and painfully got out of the truck. Two took his restrained arms as the others stood behind and in front, forming a tight circle around him. Miller led the men up the long staircase leading to the massive double-doors of the coliseum.

"On second thought, I'll take that knock out. I'm not fairing well on these stairs, Miller." Maxwell grunted as he was hurried up the steps. Miller let out a chuckle.

"Ah, but that would make it easy on you, Maxxy."

One of the doors they were heading for burst open as a Decker ran out and down to Matt.

"Mr. Miller! We've got a problem!" The ecstatic man shouted.

"What? What is it?" Miller asked. The men holding Maxwell increased the pressure of their grips, making Maxwell grimace in pain.

"The Saints are coming."

"What?"

"So far, we've only saw two of them. But they know we have the boss and now they are heading this way!"

Matt smiled slyly and gave the frantic Decker a pat on the shoulder.

"Dear boy, that's nothing to fret over. Let them come. A couple of wannabe bangers are nothing to get our feathers ruffled over."

"But that's just it sir. It's...well...It's Kensington." The Decker said, hesitantly. Matt's mouth fell open. Maxwell felt both a surge of relief, then anxiety.

_What the hell is she doing? She needs to be getting help, not coming after me._

"How the hell did she find out?" Matt yelled at the Decker.

"I..I think she used the traffic cams. She was last seen heading for the docks with that big fella that used to be a lab rat for the Syndicate."

Matt let out a frustrated cry. Maxwell couldn't help but smirk at the man's anger. He also felt much better knowing Kinzie wasn't alone but instead with someone who could definitely keep her safe. Matt ran his gloved hands over his dyed black hair, his eyes frantic.

"Uh, Miller. Shouldn't we be going? I've got a meeting, remember?" Maxwell said coyly from behind his guards. Matt's attention snapped back the Maxwell. He lowered his hands with a loud sigh.

"It's no matter. Killbane will take care of this mess right away." Matt pointed to the who had delivered the news. "I need you to call some backup. Make it so her and that freak never reach this bloody island."

"Yes sir." The man nodded then ran back up the steps. Matt took another breath and looked back down at Maxwell, an evil grin on his blue lips.

"I hope you had the chance to kiss that slag goodbye, Maxxy."

* * *

><p>Having reached the dock, Oleg pulled out his phone while Kinzie quickly went to work on finding a new lead.<p>

"Peirce,send reinforcements South East towards Magarac island. The boss has been taken by Miller and Killbane."

"You got it big man. See you soon."

Oleg put his phone away and walked back to Kinzie who sat in the driver's seat, typing away feverishly on her laptop.

"Any progress?"

"I think so. I just need...got it!" It's an island several miles behind Magarac. We need to get a boat so we can-"

"I'm afraid you will be going back to Headquarters, Kinzie."

Kinzie's eyes left her screen and went to Oleg's, her face distraught.

"What are you talking about? I need to help save-"

"We have this under control. Give me the coordinates and I will bring back Maxwell safe and sound."

"Oleg, this is my fight too!" The redhead snapped at the giant.

"It is not safe, Kinzie!" Oleg yelled back, his voice a roar that made Kinzie recoil. After a moment of silence, Oleg let out a sigh.

"The boss and I had an agreement. We both make sure to keep you safe. It is our duty."

"What am I, a cat in a tree that you two fight over to save?" Kinzie said, offended.

"It is not like that, Kinzie. We both care for you very much and-"

"Oh save it, Oleg. I can do this. I'm not the same damsel-in-distress shut in that always needs to be saved. Maxwell is out there,  
>he's probably hurt and he needs me. He needs us!"<p>

Oleg's eye widened and after a moment of realization, so did Kinzie's.

"Maxwell?" Oleg said suspiciously.

"Oh shit." Kinzie cursed, holding her head in her hands.

"You know the boss's name?" Oleg asked quietly, as if they may be heard.

"Oh god...Yeah...I...I do." Kinzie's voice came muffled.

Oleg stood silently for a moment, taking in this information. He thought no one knew anything about the boss, other than his extensive criminal history. Though, knowing Kinzie, he wasn't too surprised that she would have such information.

"Oleg please, don't tell anyone. Miller and Killbane already know somehow. No one else can know!"

"Your secret stays with me."

Kinzie, no slightly relieved, lifted her head to look at Oleg.

"Thanks."

Tires screeched as several purple vehicles pulled up behind them. The Saints got out as Peirce walked up to Oleg and Kinzie.

"We got their location?"

Before Kinzie could speak, Oleg answered the lieutenants question.

"Kinzie has the coordinates to the location. An island located somewhere past Magarac. She will take you there."

Kinzie looked up at Oleg curiously. The big Russian only smiled down at her.

"You sure you can do this, girl? It's not every day that we are the ones rescuing the boss." Peirce asked her. Kinzie's eyes shined with determination.

"Absolutely. Let's do this.

* * *

><p><strong>To Be Continued...<strong>

**A/N: A huge thank to those who have remained faithful and kept coming back to my story despite my long hiatus's. SECBM is coming to a close soon, o get yourselves ready!  
><strong>


	21. Crowned King

**Chapter 21**

**Crowned King**

The heavy doors slammed behind them with a bang. Matt stood in front of Maxwell, a smug grin on his face.

"Do I finally get to kill that arsehole, yet?" Maxwell rasped.

"Not quite, but you will have the chance to get...reacquainted...with him."

The guards holding Maxwell loosened their hold on him. The sudden lack of support, and his growing pain,  
>made him stumble forward but he caught himself quickly. He hated showing even a hint of weakness but he was hurting. There was no way to deny that.<p>

The guards came to stand on Matt's sides. The leader of the Deckers smiled at the leader of the Saints.

"He'll be in shortly. Enjoy your stay, Maxxy."

With another loud bang and the click of a lock, Matt and his companions vacated the large but mostly empty room, leaving Maxwell by himself.  
>He stood for a moment, trying to listen to their steps but couldn't. A vacuum of silence seemed to fill the room.<p>

_Sound proof walls. Interesting._

A hand held to his wounded shoulder, Maxwell took in his surroundings. In front of him on the other side of the room sat a simple red couch. A couple ladders and paint buckets sat beside it. Having seen the buckets, he realized he smelt fresh paint. Matt wasn't lying. He really was the first guest to 'Killbane Island'.

_Don't I feel like a fucking celebrity._

With a sigh, Maxwell limped to a wall and slid down it to sit on the floor. His ribs gave a strong ache when his weight slumped to the ground. The walls were slowly starting to seem much closer to him as he sat in the quiet. He began to think of Kinzie. He wouldn't be able to protect her, not now that he was badly beaten and locked in a dark room. He knew he had to think of something soon.

* * *

><p>The bow of the Miami bounced up and down from the water as they sped quickly towards their destination. Kinzie typed away furiously as they made their way. Peirce sat next to her, binoculars held to his eyes.<p>

"Okay. If we just keep going straight we should find our way there no problem." Said Kinzie, pausing her typing briefly.

"We've got more guys that are gonna meet us there." Said Pierce, lowering the binoculars for a moment then bringing them back up when his eye caught something on the horizon.

"Good cause we are going to need it. Matt and Killbane are going to be ready for us."

"I can't believe this dude has a whole damn island." The Saint driving the boat scoffed.

"It's amazing what self-righteousness can do for a person." Kinzie said, still typing.

"Shit. We've got company!" Pierce yelled, laying down the binoculars and pulling out a rifle. "Keep us moving, I'll hold them off!"

Kinze snapped her laptop shut and slid it under a seat.

"Give me a gun." She said to the lieutenant.

"You can't be for real."

"Give me a damn gun Pierce!"

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Pierce pushed back his coat and pulled out his side arm. Before handing it to her he paused, his expression serious.

"I give you this, you don't make me regret it."

Kinzie replied only with a small smirk as she took the gun from Pierce. The two Saints aimed at the quickly approaching speed boats filled with Deckers and Luchadores. Gunfire rang out as they opened fire, the young man operating the boat struggled to maintain control during the firefight. With a few more rounds out of the machine gun's magazine, the first boat was taken down. Two more appeared behind it before the Saints could celebrate. Kinzie fired two more shots before cursing and tossing the now empty gun down onto the floor of the boat.

"We need more firepower!" She yelled over the shots.

"Kinda need your help here, Kinzie!" Peirce cried at her as she made way to the back of the boat where a large crate sat.

"I'm going to, just give me a minute!" Swinging the latch of the chest, Kinzie was greeted with various arms of her own, as well as Angel and Oleg's, creation. Among them was one she had been trying to save for a time such as this. She pulled out the smaller neon-colored gun and ran back to Peirce.

"The fuck are you gonna do with that shit?" He laughed as he reloaded his weapon. Cocking the unusual arm, she looked at him seriously.

"Watch."

Aiming at an enemy boat, she pulled the trigger. The projectile flew at the boat and hit it, sending it into the sky in a blaze of burning flames and smoke.

"**Holy shit!**"

"There's another one back there. I suggest you get it." She replied flatly, putting another bullet into the chamber.

* * *

><p>Without realizing it, Maxwell had fallen asleep, his head resting on his knees. What awoke him was the snap of the lock on his prison's doors. Suddenly feeling recharged from a surge of adrenaline, the leader of the Saints got up to his feet and awaited Killbane's arrival. The doors opened and in poured several dozen Deckers and Luchadores, all heavily armed. Behind them came Matt Miller, and finally, Killbane himself.<p>

"My, my. Isn't this something, Matty? Little Icarus seems to finally understand how things work. His wings have finally melted, and here he is before me, slowly falling to his death." The large man in green smiled evilly down at Maxwell.

"Go fuck yourself, Eddie. You're not leaving this shitty island alive. In fact, I plan on blowing this whole Goddamn thing up the second I'm able." Maxwell growled at the other man. His pain slowly fading now that his rage was rising.

"Such hubris! You still believe you are in any position to make idle threats?" Killbane laughed loudly, his deep voice echoing off the walls.

"It's not just me you have to be afraid of. The Saints are coming, and when they get here they'll-"

"Spare me, Icarus. I've heard enough from you already. Right now, your darling friends and cohorts are floating dead in the ocean. It's just you and me now."

Maxwell eyed the men in blue and green behind Killbane. They all smiled back to him with bloodthirsty grins.

"You and me? Could'a fooled me with all those goons you have with you." Maxwell laughed roughly.

"Them?" The large wrestler pointed a thumb at the gang members. "No, they are my audience, you see. Every great story needs one. Which reminds me, Maxwell is it? Maxwell, are performance is about to begin. So let us-"

A loud rumble cut off his speech. Dust fell from the ceiling and everyone in the room shook on their feet. The guards readied their guns, preparing for an attack. Miller stared wide eyed at his leader, fear covering his once arrogant features. Killbane only frowned heavily down at Maxwell, his lip curled in anger. The bruised and beaten boss of the Saints stood to his full height despite his protesting body.

"Heh. Looks like I have an audience too, Eddie."

* * *

><p><strong><em>TBC<em>**

_A/N: Oh my God. The support I've gotten with this story is crazy. This all started as a one shot drabble. I never would have thought that two years later, people would still be reading and still be asking me to write more. To those who have been here since the begining, thank you for sticking around so long! To the newcomers, thank you for reading. Strap yourselves in, the end is coming!_


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